Oogie Boogie and Lock, Shock, and Barrel
by Nightmare1
Summary: How did Lock, Shock, and Barrel come to be with Oogie Boogie? Here is MY theory.
1. In the Middle of the Night

Genre: General  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: I own Nigina and Gideon. Everyone else belongs to Tim Burton.  
  
(Background: I mentioned some of the events of this story in my Search for Lock, Shock, and Barrel fics.so here's the prequel to The Search for Lock, Shock, and Barrel! And FYI: If this sounds anything like a fanfic that has already been written, know that I came up with each lil detail on my own and am not copying anyone. That said and done.)  
  
The year was 1721 in Romania. Nigina Damion was asleep in her mountain home. She and her children were just recovering from her husband's death. In the room next door, even through two feet of stone wall, she heard her children sleeping.her own little Lock, Shock, and Barrel. They were all so young. Barrel was only three months old, Lock a little over a year, and Shock just turned two. Nigina couldn't help thinking something bad was going to happen tonight.something that concerned the little babies in the nursery next door.  
  
Nigina sat up slowly, flexing her bat wings. Without her wings, one would think she was human. She had pale skin, green eyes and long, straight black hair. Her face was round and young. Nigina got out of bed, her long nightdress sweeping the floor. She tiptoed next door to the nursery and peeked inside.  
  
Barrel was in his cradle, sucking his thumb. Lock and Shock were in separate corners of the dodecahedron room. Shock was curled under her slivery-gray blanket, a vampire doll tucked under her arm, her straight black hair done up in two sweet little ponytails. Lock was almost buried alive under his midnight blue blanket. Nigina pulled the covers back a bit. He was sucking on a smooth wooden pacifier, his dark red bangs done up in tiny devil horns. Feeling a bit more relaxed, Nigina left.  
  
~*~  
  
Later that night, Nigina woke up again. She perked her pointed ears. Shock was crying. Nigina got out of bed. Almost as soon as she was on her feet, Shock began to scream. Nigina raced to the nursery, forgetting about her bat wings. When she arrived, she saw a bright light.and then a tall, round figure. It had tentacle-like hands and tiny feet. Under one tentacle was a basket, and Lock and Barrel sleeping inside. In the other was Shock, kicking and screaming, trying to get away.  
  
"Stop!" Nigina screamed. "Leave her alone!"  
  
At the sound of her mother's voice, Shock turned, her emerald eyes staring at Nigina.  
  
"Mommy!" she cried in fear. "Mommy, help!"  
  
The figure then stuffed Shock into the basket, before he pulled a blanket over it, the ends clinging to the basket's edge tightly, like a shower cap. Nigina ran and tried to grab the basket, but the figure pushed her back.  
  
"You're husband owed me, Nigina," he hissed. "Gideon promised that he would give me his three little children if I spared his own life."  
  
"No!" Nigina screamed. "Gideon is not my husband! Garrett is my husband! Garrett is dead! Gideon is his twin!"  
  
"Don't try that old trick, Nigina. It won't work. These little children--- Lock, Shock, and Barrel, am I right?---are mine now. Don't worry. I'll take good care of them for you."  
  
"No!" Nigina begged. "I never knew about this! They are MY children! Let them go! Let them go!"  
  
Shock was crying from inside the basket.  
  
"Mommy!" she wept. "Mommy!"  
  
"Please," said Nigina, falling to her knees. "Have mercy! Let me have my children!"  
  
"Sorry, Nigina. A deal is a deal. Take this up with Gideon. Tell him Oogie Boogie has come to collect his dues."  
  
Oogie began to dissolve in thin air.  
  
"No!" screamed Nigina. "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!"  
  
She fell over Shock's bed and wept bitterly. Her own blood and kin, carrying them for nine months each, going through a lifetime of pain to give birth to them.and now they were gone, snatched from her grasp. Nigina suddenly perked up. She turned around as she saw an elderly woman with weak gray bat wings, long white hair, and a young face hobbled in, leaning on a walking staff.  
  
"Nigina?" she asked. "What's going on in here? Where-where are the children?"  
  
"Oh, Mama," Nigina wept. "They were stolen! Kidnapped! Abducted! Snatched from my grasp while I tried to save them! It was that Gideon! Gideon! Garrett's wicked twin! I knew he was trouble! Garrett knew it too! It was because of Gideon that they were stolen! It was because of Gideon that they're gone!"  
  
Nigina screamed as though in agony. Her mother came in as quickly as she could and hugged her daughter. Nigina was only a widow and a young mother. Her husband had died only two months ago, and having her children stolen before her very eyes, didn't help her much.  
  
"Try not to worry yourself, Nigina," the older demoness whispered. "We'll find them. I promise you, Nigina, we will find them again."  
  
Nigina clung to the old woman and sobbed.  
  
~*~  
  
In the mists of another world, in a realm, Oogie Boogie arrived. Shock had by now stopped screaming, but instead kicked at the tarp covering her and her brothers, as though in boredom. She soon stopped, sobbing gently from being snatched away from her mother. In the shadows, a figure waited nervously. Oogie soon took notice of him.  
  
"Don't worry, Gideon," he said. "That task is complete and your debt is paid. Your life is your own."  
  
"T-thank you," said Gideon. "But.what will you do with my children?"  
  
"I will raise them as my own, and when they're old enough.they will work for me. No be gone. We have no more business to tend to."  
  
Gideon trembled as he slowly walked away, hoping his charade as Garrett still fooled Oogie. Oogie cast a small spell, and a portal appeared. He was standing beside a gnarled old tree, a deep ravine surrounding it. There was no bridge, no safe way across. Clutching the basket under one arm, Oogie crawled down the shaft with as much grace as a spider. Once down, he moved a boulder aside, revealing a secret door. He crept inside, set the basket down and replaced the boulder, before he carried the basket deep into his cave-like lair, which in three hundred years would be built into a mighty casino. (Reminder: this is in 1721)  
  
He set the basket on a wooden table and pulled back the covers. Lock and Barrel were peacefully sleeping, Shock twitching in her sleep, her face streaked with tears. Oogie gently touched the child's face. His tentacle- like hand slipped onto her neck and felt a chain.a locket. Oogie carefully unclasped it and opened it up. Inside was a picture of Nigina and Garrett Damion. On the other side was a picture of the threesome sleeping. Oogie cackled.  
  
"She won't need this," said Oogie. "Memories of her parents would foil with my plans..."  
  
Oogie took the locket and threw it into the ravine. It closed and fell into a small, unused mouse hole, clear out of sight. Oogie then went inside to put the children in bed.  
  
In his cavern, there was a small room, the only furniture three wooden cradles with cornhusk mattresses and a wooden toy chest filled with Halloween-type toys. He placed one of the sleeping children in each cradle, then quietly left the room.  
  
~*~  
  
It was almost dawn. Nigina had finally calmed down, her mother holding her like she was still a small child.  
  
"Don't worry," said Magika, Nigina's mother. "You'll get them back. I promise you this."  
  
"I hope so, Mother," said Nigina. "Stolen in the middle of the night! Before my very eyes! Curse that Gideon! Cast a plague upon his house! Have him no rest until they are once again safe in my arms!"  
  
"Calm yourself, child!" exclaimed Magika.  
  
"But how can I, Mama? They're MY children! Dawn is now here, and I can't leave, lest I should die! And if I die, they'll never know me! Within but a few months, their young memories will be swept away! I MUST find them again!"  
  
"No words can heal a broken heart," Magika said quietly. "Especially the heart of a young mother. Words may not heal, but they can comfort. And right now, comfort is what you need."  
  
"I don't want comfort," said Nigina. "I want my children."  
  
"It is the only way to heal that torn heart. What else would help is to confront Gideon, to find out why he would trade your children for his own life."  
  
"Then I'll send for him." Nigina took out a quill and a scroll of parchment and scribbled out a dire message.  
  
"Come to my cave tonight at dusk. Any delays and you will pay. We have some matters to discuss, and I will not rest until we have spoken.  
  
Yours truly,  
  
Nigina Damion, your brother's widow"  
  
Nigina rolled up the parchment and attached it to a bat's leg.  
  
"Deliver this to Gideon Tremain."  
  
The bat used a wing to salute and flew off.  
  
~*~  
  
The next morning, at Oogie's cavern, Shock woke up. She looked around, confused, then remembered the big, scary figure she had seen the night before. She shuddered, then sat down and softly wept, longing for Nigina. A few minutes later, she heard some soft groaning, like someone who had just woken up. She ran to a nearby cradle, where she saw Lock starting to stretch. His eyes fluttered open a few minutes later.  
  
"Shock?" he asked, his voice small. He looked around. "Where.where Mommy?"  
  
"I not know," said Shock in her little two-year old voice. "We tooked when it dark!"  
  
"Mommy!" Lock exclaimed. He was scared, terrified. This was the first time he had been without Nigina. Shock hugged her little brother, her best friend.  
  
"Shh, Lock, it all right," she said, her voice unconvincing. Lock cried even harder, missing their mother more and more by the second. It wasn't long before the door opened. Lock and Shock hugged each other tightly, scared of the huge burlap sack.  
  
"Hello, children," he said.  
  
"MOMMY!" Lock and Shock screamed.  
  
"Your mommy isn't here," said Oogie, smiling wickedly. "I'm your mommy now."  
  
"No you not!" Shock shouted, scared and angry. "You not Mommy! Mommy pretty!"  
  
"Well, I might not be Nigina, but I'm your mommy now, you little brats."  
  
This didn't help either Lock or Shock at all. They were scared, far away from home, wanting their mother. Oogie sighed as he picked them up.  
  
"Put down!" Lock yelled.  
  
"Yeah! Put down!" Shock agreed.  
  
"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. Now, are either of you hungry?"  
  
Lock and Shock looked at each other, then at Oogie, and nodded. Oogie left the door open to keep an ear out for Barrel as he carried Lock and Shock into the kitchen, which was two rooms down. He set each in a high chair and set some bowls in front of them. The stuff inside was a pale green. It smelled of moss and oatmeal, though disgusting to a human, it strangely sounded good to Lock and Shock. Shock tried to be a big girl and use a spoon, but Lock found it more convenient to use his hands.  
  
Oogie watched them eat, before Lock pushed his almost empty bowl onto the floor. The leftover "oatmeal" splattered all over, and Lock laughed devilishly, clutching his sides as though it was the greatest thing on earth. Oogie chuckled. Just what he expected.  
  
Shock laughed and did the same. Lock was covered from head to toe in his breakfast, and Shock's face and hands were a mess. Lock grabbed one of her two ponytails, then let go.  
  
"Boing!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Hey!" Shock exclaimed, seeing oatmeal in her hair. At that point, Barrel woke up. Oogie sighed and heated some milk over the fire while he went to fetch the tiny baby. When he came back, he placed an old, but clean blue blanket on the floor and set Barrel down, before he checked the heat of the milk. In the time he was gone, it had heated almost to perfection. It was a little cool, but it was better cool than hot. He carefully poured the milk into a glass bottle, before he put the stopper on and picked up Barrel. He fed and burped Barrel, while Lock and Shock had a food fight with their mossy oatmeal, bot laughing and giggling.  
  
Barrel was happy for the moment, so Oogie set him down and started to heat some water to give Lock and Shock baths. While it heated, they grew tired of their food fight.  
  
"Out!" Shock demanded.  
  
"Out!" Lock said, just to copy his sister.  
  
"In a minute. I have to heat your bath water first."  
  
"Hmph!" said Shock, crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air. Lock, on the other hand, started drawing pictures on his wooden tray, using what was left of his oatmeal for paint. Barrel started to cry. Oogie soon found he needed a diaper change. The water wasn't quite warm enough yet. Oogie was quick to get Barrel a new diaper, just narrowly missing getting squirted. Once Barrel was a happy baby again, Oogie washed his hands and checked the water. It was little too hot, but nothing a little cold water couldn't fix. He carefully dumped some in a tub and added some cold water to cool it down. Lock had fallen asleep in his high chair (Aww!), while Shock was still being a bouncing baby brat. (Quote from Hercules, heeheehee.)  
  
Oogie added some soap to the water, making bubbles, then helped Shock out of her chair. She insisted on bathing all by herself, and Oogie let her. Shock found a blanket to use as a curtain. Oogie moved the tub to a corner, then helped her set up the curtain. Shock smiled then ran behind the curtain and undressed. A huge splashing sound told Oogie she had just jumped in. She grabbed a washcloth and scrubbed herself clean.  
  
"Are you finished yet?" Oogie asked sweetly.  
  
"No!" Shock said. Loudly.  
  
"Let me know. I have a towel ready."  
  
Shock giggled and splashed for a few minutes, then pulled the ponytails out of her hair and washed the oatmeal out of it. When she felt no more of Lock's breakfast, she decided she was done.  
  
"To-wel!" she shouted. Oogie smiled and slipped her the towel. Shock wrapped herself up and came out, the towel covering all but her feet. She ran into the room Oogie had provided.  
  
"I need dress!"  
  
Oogie sighed. Fortunately, he had thought of that ahead of time. He went to a small dresser and pulled out a lavender dress and girls' underclothes, then tossed them into the room. Shock slammed the door so she could change. Oogie gently woke Lock and put him in the tub. Lock laughed and splashed around, soaking Oogie. Oogie soon pulled him out of the tub and put him in red pants and a red shirt. Lock's little devil tail made a hole with its sharp point. Oogie smiled and carried him into the playroom, where Shock had finished getting dressed. She hadn't brushed her hair, so it stuck out a bit in a strange way. She also found a tiny matching witch hat for her outfit. Oogie showed them the toy chest, where they entertained themselves for the rest of the day, save for meals.  
  
~*~  
  
(A/N: I have a one-year-old sib and a three-year-old sib, so I know well how babies talk. Even so, not many one-year-olds can do it.Lock and Shock are a bit smarter than most babies.a lot of their actions are based on my sibs too.I know how "Mommy's Kids" act.and how to take care of them.I have to baby sit them a lot.ok, ok, enough of my blabbing and on with the story.)  
  
~*~  
  
Gideon got Nigina's message and raced to her mountain home immediately. There he met an old woman with bat wings---Nigina's mother---and a very angry and upset Nigina.  
  
"Why?" Nigina asked. "Why did you do it?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Don't play innocent with me, Gideon Tremain! Where are my children? Where are Lock, Shock, and Barrel?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"What do you mean you don't know? Where has Oogie taken them?"  
  
"I don't know where Oogie is! The last I saw him was on the outskirts of the village!"  
  
Nigina sensed the truth in his voice. She was quiet for a minute.  
  
"Why?" she asked quietly. "Why did you trade MY babies, my own blood and kin to save YOUR OWN rotten neck?"  
  
"He---he was going to kill me! I made a deal with him and wanted out of it, so he wanted my children in exchange.but I didn't have any of my own. I don't even have a wife! So.so I acted as Garrett and gave Lock, Shock, and Barrel to him."  
  
Nigina was more upset and hurt than before.  
  
"YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" she screamed. "You should have died than cause me this grief! Have you no heart? It caused me much pain to bring them into this world, much joy to have them, much torment to have their father die, and even more torment to take them away from me like that!"  
  
She fell to the floor, crying bitterly. Gideon backed away. Nigina looked up.  
  
"You are going to help me find them, Gideon Tremain. Even if it kills you in the process. Have you heard of a fate worse than death? Well, you should've died when you had the chance."  
  
Gideon was terrified. He quickly fled from the castle mountain. For days he was tormented by Nigina. She dragged him everywhere, making him do the dirty work. Finally, after nearly three weeks, he just.vanished, probably sick of Nigina's torture.  
  
(A/N More to come...later...heeheehee.) 


	2. Five Years Later

Five Years Later.  
  
Oogie's hideout had changed a lot since Lock, Shock, and Barrel had come to live with him. The gnarled old tree now supported a tree house, where Lock, Shock, and Barrel would make their home when it was finished. They still needed to finish building a few rooms and add a ceiling. Lock and Shock no longer remembered Nigina, though Barrel didn't know her at all. He was only three months old when he was snatched away. Shock was now seven, Lock six, Barrel five. The three often fought, but were more like friends than siblings.  
  
Oogie smiled. He was raising them just the way he wanted them to be: heartless little brats who worked for him. He was the only adult they trusted, as he had never once hurt them. He would often take them out to the human world, and show them that the only thing other adults did was discipline little children. This scared the entire threesome pretty badly. They were returning from yet another weekly visit.  
  
"Adults are mean," Barrel said.  
  
"That poor girl!" Shock exclaimed. "Spanked and sent to bed without any supper! Just for not cleaning her room!"  
  
"Which wasn't very messy," Lock agreed. "A few clothes and a pair of shoes!" They talked a bit more on the subject. Oogie sensed their fear. Perfect. Another month or two of this and he'd have them right where he wanted them.  
  
~*~  
  
Later that night, Oogie was in the main room, sitting back in a wooden chair, feet rested on the table, reading, when Shock came out.  
  
"Mr. Oogie Boogie?" she asked, twirling her finger in a strand of her thin, wavy hair.  
  
"Yes?" asked Oogie, not looking up from his book.  
  
"I.I had a nightmare."  
  
Oogie set the book down and Shock crawled into his lap.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I was.I was in an orphanage! And the lady made me work all day and beat me because she felt like it! It hurt!"  
  
She snuggled into his burlap sack skin. Oogie hugged her.  
  
"There, there, Shock."  
  
"Oh, Mr. Oogie Boogie, sir, I don't want to grow up! I don't want to be a mean adult!"  
  
Inside, Oogie smiled. This was what he wanted.  
  
"You don't have to grow up, if you don't want to. I'll provide a way for you and your brothers to stay little and young forever."  
  
Shock wiped away a tear. "Really?"  
  
"Really."  
  
Shock felt much better. She hugged Oogie tightly.  
  
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Oogie Boogie!"  
  
Oogie smiled wickedly as he held the little child. He soon carefully carried her back to her room, as the tree house wasn't finished yet. Shock fell back asleep a few minutes later.  
  
~*~  
  
Almost a month had passed. Lock, Shock, and Barrel were now more terrified of adults than before. Every other night, Oogie would show them more mean adults, and they got worse and worse each night. By the end of the month, none of the three could sleep. It was time.  
  
One night, Oogie called Lock, Shock, and Barrel into the main room. He had a surprise for them. Once they were seated on the rather small couch, he cleared his throat.  
  
"Now, you have seen these adults, right?"  
  
All three shuddered.  
  
"Do you want to grow up?"  
  
"N-no, sir!" said Lock.  
  
"No, Mr. Oogie Boogie," wept Shock.  
  
"No," croaked Barrel, trying not to cry.  
  
"I have come up with a solution," said Oogie. He pulled out a scroll of paper. "If you three agree to become my henchmen, I will keep you young and little forever."  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel looked at each other and quietly discussed the issue. Shock looked up.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really. Just as I promised."  
  
Shock stood up. Oogie held out a feather that had already been dipped in ink. She reached for it.when Oogie pricked her finger.  
  
"Ow!" she cried, cradling her finger. Oogie gently took her finger and pressed it onto the document. Her name appeared in her own blood. Shock felt a strange change to her body.  
  
"W-what's happening?"  
  
"Your youth is being preserved."  
  
A faint glow surrounded Shock. She was lifted a few inches into the air. Suddenly, there was a flash of light. When it cleared, she looked slightly different. Her skin was a minty yellow, her eyes greener. Shock stared at her body in awe.  
  
Barrel rushed forward. His finger was pricked and he signed on the double. His change was he was a bit more ghoulish and chubby. Lock was hesitant. He didn't want to prick his finger, but his siblings pressured him to join. Finally, he, too, pricked his finger and signed, his face becoming more pointed and devilish. All three were surprised at the changes, but nonetheless happy, for they didn't have to worry about growing up.  
  
~*~  
  
While they left to finish their tree house, Oogie cackled with glee. The threesome was his. His own henchmen. And they were little and young forever, making his evil bidding easier.  
  
(A/N I'm trying to decide if I wanna continue this or not...hmm...if I can get 13 reviews on this chapter, then I'll continue, cuz I have a few ideas, but won't post unless you guys wanna here em.) 


	3. In Which Old Friends Become Foes Over Li...

(A/N: OK, I know I said I was gonna wait for 13 reviews, but since you guys sound so interested, I decided to take pity, stall no longer and write some more, just cuz I luv ya all. Now feel luved! And just cuz I feel like saying this again: some of these ideas sound similar to other fics, but I came up with everything on my own.)  
  
It wasn't long after Lock, Shock, and Barrel became his henchmen when Oogie took them into town for the very first time. Back then, he had been friends with most everyone, especially Jack. In fact, Jack was the first person Oogie introduced them to. Lock, Shock, and Barrel marveled at the skeleton, who seemed like a stick compared to Oogie. He wore black Puritan attire. He had on a black waistcoat over a white shirt. He wore black knee-length trousers, gray socks, and sleek (and TINY) black square-toed shoes. A black cloak completed his outfit. (This is still in the 17th century.)  
  
"Lock, Shock, Barrel," he said, "this is Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town."  
  
Jack knelt down so he could shake their hands. "How do you do?"  
  
"Fine, sir," said Shock, shaking his hand.  
  
"Quite well," said Lock.  
  
"Uh...good," said Barrel. Oogie handed them each a silver coin, before he pointed to a small sweet shop and bakery.  
  
"Go over there and buy yourselves some toffee. I'll be with you in a minute."  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel did as they were told. Jack laughed.  
  
"They're cute kids," he said.  
  
"Yes they are," said Oogie.  
  
"How did you come to meet them, anyway?" asked Jack.  
  
"I---I found them by an old abandoned road a few Halloweens ago. There was a small note with their names on it. I raised them and am now showing them around."  
  
Jack chuckled. "I like them. Do you think they could do anything around town?"  
  
Oogie thought for a minute. "Like what?"  
  
"Well...there's a mortal custom that has been a round for a little while now. I was watching a few mortals going from door to door, dressed as spirits, begging for food. Maybe we can borrow that custom and alter it for children."  
  
(A/N: Forgive me for any historical errors. I don't do that on purpose. *Hints to certain reviews*)  
  
"I like the way you think, Skellington."  
  
"And they're dressed in Halloween-type clothes anyway. Think about it! From here on out, little children can go around from door to door dressed in a costume. And instead of food, they'll receive sweets and little cakes. And to help us scare mortals, they can play pranks on unsuspecting mortals, so long as no harm comes to the victim. And the whole process will be called---trick-or-treating! What do you think?"  
  
"I like it. I'll talk to them about it."  
  
By now, Lock, Shock, and Barrel came back, each holding four toffees.  
  
"Can we see more of town now, Mr. Oogie Boogie?" asked Lock, biting into a toffee.  
  
"Please?" Shock said, blinking her eyelashes.  
  
"All right. Come on, you three."  
  
"Bye Jack," said Barrel, as they left, shoving a toffee in his mouth.  
  
"Bye!" called Lock and Shock.  
  
"Good bye, kids," said Jack. He watched them leave. He had taken a liking to them. He hoped that they'd like his idea to become the first trick-or- treaters in Halloween Town.  
  
~*~  
  
It was late at night when Oogie and Lock, Shock, and Barrel arrived. They went down into the ravine, into Oogie's main room, where he told them Jack's plan.  
  
"What do you think?" he asked.  
  
"The very first trick-or-treaters?" Shock asked.  
  
"The VERY first?" asked Lock.  
  
"Yes. Would you do it?"  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel squealed with glee. To them, it was the most important thing that had ever happened to them. Suddenly, Oogie got a wicked idea. Maybe he could use this trick-or-treating plan to his own use- --especially the trick part. He chuckled, remembering why he had bargained for Lock, Shock, and Barrel in the first place.  
  
"I'll tell Jack in the morning. Right now, it's bed time."  
  
He tucked the threesome in. He waited an hour, before he went back into town to tell Jack about the discussion.  
  
~*~  
  
In the morning, Lock, Shock, and Barrel woke up. After a small fight after who woke who, they went into the kitchen for breakfast. They had burnt toast and that mossy oatmeal. Neither was hungry. All were too excited. Oogie urged them to eat, but the wanted to know if he had spoken to Jack yet.  
  
"I have," said Oogie. "He was very pleased."  
  
The threesome couldn't conceal their joy. They jumped from the table, joined hands and danced in a circle.  
  
"We're the first trick-or-treaters! We're the first trick-or-treaters!"  
  
Oogie waited for them to settle down.  
  
"I have something for you," he said. He pulled out three masks and handed one to each child. Lock's was a devil, Shock's a witch, and Barrel's a ghoul.  
  
"What are these for?"  
  
"Gifts from Jack. A token of his gratitude."  
  
Each put their mask on. Little did they know that Oogie had hoodwinked the gifts behind Jack's back. The second they put them on, most of the good in their tiny little hearts disappeared. What little good did exist was the kind that can't disappear---the gift of a true mother's love. It was this good that prevented them from becoming completely evil. The threesome took off their masks, then looked at each other and laughed like maniacs. They then ran off, ready to cause havoc in town.  
  
~*~  
  
Jack was walking around, reading a few pages of parchment, the plans for Halloween. Suddenly, he heard some evil laughter. A few pieces of rock and bone hit him. He turned around to see Lock, Shock, and Barrel---but they weren't the sweet little kids he had met yesterday. They were rotten little brats. How he knew, he could not say; it was a hunch he got, and not a very good one.  
  
He followed them around, watching the little devil, witch, and ghoul cause havoc around town. They broke into shops and made messes. They let loose the bats that had been captured for examination. The broke into the inventor's house and tinkered with many of his inventions so they didn't work properly. The old man, Dr. Finkelstein, was furious. Back then, he could walk better, needing only a cane, but those brats had snapped his cane in two, leaving the poor old man laying in the middle of the room, doing his best to crawl towards the wall.  
  
By the end of the day, the entire town was in shambles. Jack was furious. Somehow, he knew the threesome had changed---but how? And why?  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel had returned home. Their tree house wasn't quite finished yet, so they went down into the ravine. Oogie was waiting by the front door.  
  
"We're back, Oogie!" Barrel exclaimed.  
  
"How was your day?" he asked.  
  
"It was fun!" Shock cackled. "We caused so much trouble!"  
  
"Being a trick-or-treater is great!" Lock exclaimed. He was dragging a sack inside. "Look what we got from some of the shops!"  
  
Inside the sack were Halloween cakes and toffees and sugar cubes. Oogie smiled.  
  
"Come inside. I'm making a special meal tonight."  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel had been waiting at the table for nearly fifteen minutes. Oogie made them wash up while dinner cooked and in the meantime, they played with their "toys": axes, knives, a guillotine, voodoo dolls, and poison bottles, before he called them to the table. It had been fifteen minutes but finally, Oogie came out with a huge pot. Lock, Shock, and Barrel sniffed the air. it smelled so good!  
  
Oogie dished out the thick, creamy liquid and set the bowls in front of Lock, Shock, and Barrel. They found whole spiders floating around in the milky liquid, pieces of snakeskin here and there. It was a new food. Shock was the first to try it.  
  
"Mmm!" she exclaimed, then greedily slurped it down, not caring how hot the stuff was.  
  
"Yummy!" Lock commented.  
  
"Mmm-mm-mm!" Barrel breathed. He threw his spoon aside and picked up the bowl, slurping it down as loud as he could. Lock finished first and belched, Shock wiping her mouth on her sleeve. Barrel burped, then Shock, before they had a contest to see who could belch the loudest, being as rude as they possibly could.  
  
"I'm glad you like my snake-and-spider stew," said Oogie, collecting their bowls. "It's an old family recipe."  
  
"I want more!" demanded Shock.  
  
"Yeah!" Lock and Barrel exclaimed. Oogie chuckled and gave them each another helping.  
  
~*~  
  
For several days, the troublemakers pulled several tricks and pranks on the citizens of Halloween Town. Finally, an emergency meeting was called. Town Hall that night was abuzz with chatter.  
  
"We need to do something about those brats!" shouted Grendella, the Big Witch.  
  
"They're ruining everything!" shouted Nathan, the Corpse Dad.  
  
"Order!" Jack yelled, banging a gavel on the podium. "Order!"  
  
The crowd grew silent.  
  
"We're going to get to the bottom of this," Jack assured them. "I promise you that they weren't always like this. Why, I had met them the day before they had gone bad, and they were the sweetest kids I knew!"  
  
"Were," corrected Glenn, the werewolf.  
  
"We will get to the bottom of this!" Jack announced. "We will find out what happened and get them under control, so that peace may once again reign in Halloween Town!"  
  
The crowd stood up and cheered.  
  
~*~  
  
As Jack locked up Town Hall that night, he went into deep thought. What happened? He knew that Lock, Shock, and Barrel were misunderstood, but how was he to prove it? He thought of the day he met them. So cute and innocent, but then the next day, they were as evil as evil could get. Suddenly, a thought struck him. Oogie was the only one around the threesome in the twelve-hour difference between the meeting and the start of the havoc. One of his best friends! Jack didn't want to believe it, but he had to find out. He quickly rushed to the ravine.  
  
~*~  
  
Just as the threesome had fallen asleep, there was a knock at the door. Oogie pulled up Lock's blankets before he went to answer it. It was Jack.  
  
"Oogie?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, Jack?"  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
~*~  
  
Lock woke up hearing yelling going on just outside his room.  
  
"How could you, Oogie? Why are you turning your back on Halloween Town? Why?"  
  
"I've always been jealous of you, Jack! Always the best! Even in school, you were the tops! Always had the best grades! Always knew the best scaring techniques! Always the one kid everyone looked up to! And what about me? I was barely good enough to graduate! I was the nerd of the bunch, never got any attention or respect!"  
  
"And now you're using those three sweet little children to get your revenge?"  
  
"Yes, Jack. You weren't supposed to know!"  
  
The arguing went on and on. Lock watched through a crack in the door. The two men fought, exchanging awful words and insults at the other. It took a while, but finally, both Oogie and Jack calmed down.  
  
"I never thought it'd lead to this," said Jack, "but what must be done will be done. You and Lock, Shock, and Barrel are banished from Halloween Town. You and those kids are only allowed in town on Halloween. I'm sorry, Oogie, but what needs to be done will be done."  
  
"Then our friendship will end here and now," said Oogie.  
  
"If that's what you want," said Jack. "From now on, we are no longer friends. Good evening, Oogie. I must be going now."  
  
With that, he grabbed his cloak and walked out the door. Lock watched Oogie sigh heavily, then sit down by the fire. Lock thought it best to go back to bed, but Oogie looked up and saw him.  
  
"What is it, Lock?"  
  
Lock quietly opened the door a little more.  
  
"Oogie? Are we---are we not allowed in town anymore?" he asked.  
  
"No," said Oogie, sternly. "But that doesn't matter. I WILL have my revenge. Just wait until Jack falls in love! It might be a while, but it will happen. And when he falls in love---we'll be ready for him."  
  
~*~  
  
Since that night, Lock, Shock, and Barrel were no longer seen in town. Since the fight with Jack and Oogie, the trouble stopped. The people of Halloween Town were much happier.  
  
Yet deep inside himself, Jack felt a huge surge of guilt. He felt he had been a bit harsh to Oogie---and Lock, Shock, and Barrel. He sighed heavily. It was time for a visit.  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel had finished their tree house. It looked like a huge wooden crate with a drawbridge. Lock hammered in a few more nails, while Shock made sure that a long metal pipe that wound round the tree and into the ravine, was sturdy. Barrel was opening and closing the drawbridge, making sure it worked properly. Not one of the three saw the tall skeletal figure coming towards them. The siblings continued to work.  
  
~*~  
  
Jack was at the front of the house, right beside the newly built bridge. He watched the trio work for a minute, then cleared his throat.  
  
"Hello, Lock. Good day, Shock. Morning, Barrel."  
  
All three looked over to him.  
  
"Hi, Jack," said Shock, before she drove in another nail.  
  
"I just---I wanted to apologize for---for what I said yesterday. And I came here to check on you."  
  
"Are we still banished from town?" asked Barrel.  
  
"Well---no."  
  
The threesome was overjoyed.  
  
"You mean, we can come back?" gasped Lock.  
  
"And we're not in trouble?" asked Shock, hopefully.  
  
"I didn't say you weren't out of trouble. There needs to be a discipline for your distasteful behavior."  
  
"But you said we were trick-or-treaters!" Lock whined.  
  
"Well, what you three need to understand are that pranks are only allowed on Halloween. And they're only allowed if no one gets hurt in the process, and some people did get hurt in your raids."  
  
"But we were only trying to do our job!" Shock said quietly, trying not to cry.  
  
Jack smiled. "I know. I am pleased about that. Now, I'm going to make a deal with you three. You can come back into town on a few conditions: one is you must behave. Number two is you may practice pulling pranks no more than four times a day, so you can do your job. No harmful pranks, mind you. And number three is no stealing, or in other words, taking what doesn't belong to you. The treat in 'trick-or-treat' is only allowed if the treats are given." He smiled again. "Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes, Jack," said the threesome in unison, their fingers crossed behind their backs. Jack smiled once more, then left.  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock and Barrel kept their promises---most of the time. Every once in a while they'd break a rule, but were often long gone before they were caught. Soon, it became part of the town's daily routine: at one time or another, someone was going to be the victim of Lock, Shock, and Barrel's pranks. Their favorite target was the Mayor, because he annoyed them and was so much fun to bug! He'd often find a scorpion in his teacup, or find that someone had released the invisible horses on his horseless carriage. (Haunted Mansion joke.)  
  
The Mayor was jumpier than ever, forever glancing over his shoulder, looking for the little troublemakers. He always hoped they'd come sooner than later, for they only bugged him once or twice, then ran off, and when they came sooner, he could relax, knowing it wasn't likely they'd be back again. And he also stayed near Jack. Jack was the only one in town who they really listened to.  
  
Today, however, they had gotten well out of hand. They were doing all they could to tease the Mayor to a point of a nervous breakdown. In Town Hall, they were wreaking havoc, taking papers and throwing them around, tearing anything that looked really important. They then overturned benches and stuffed one of Shock's pet scorpions down his back.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!" screamed the Mayor. The threesome laughed wickedly.  
  
"But Scorpio LOVES crawling on flesh!" Shock squealed in delight. The evil little brats then played around with the props behind the stage, and painted pictures on the scenery. They then ran around, before Barrel tripped and knocked Shock down. She pushed him off of her, then tackled him. Lock thought it looked like fun and joined the brawl. In the meantime, the Mayor was concentrating on getting Scorpio out of his coat without scaring him, to avoid being stung.  
  
It was then that Jack came in. Jack saw the condition of Town Hall. The benches were overturned, props messed with, curtains torn, scenery covered in skull-and-crossbones, "self portraits" of the triad, and other childish sketches, papers in the air or scattered on the floor, the Mayor moving nervously, trying to get something out of his coat, and Lock, Shock, and Barrel fighting.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked. But nobody stopped. Jack thought for a second, before an idea came to his head. He turned for a second, pulled his jaw down low, and roared a hideous roar, with a hint of shriek and hiss to it. It was as if the world froze then and there. The Mayor stopped an stared as though trapped in a block of ice, Lock, Shock, and Barrel frozen in a snapshot. Lock had Shock's hair and throat, Shock was pinning Barrel stomach down on the ground and bending his leg back, with Barrel's hands and teeth clenched around Lock's tail. All their faces were stopped with looks of horror. Jack tapped his foot. He needed no explanation.  
  
"You three," he said quietly. "My office. Come."  
  
He led Lock, Shock, and Barrel behind the stage and down a small hallway, into Jack's office. In the middle of the room was Jack's desk, shaped like a coffin. There was a huge bookshelf behind the desk, a spindly chair in between them. A red cushioned couch, sort of like the inside of a coffin, was aligned against the wall, a huge Venus's flytrap by the door. The plant had only one huge head and when it stood upright, it reached Jack's waist. It wore a collar with a silver tag that said, "Fang." Jack motioned for the threesome to sit on the couch. He sat at his desk, in the spindly chair.  
  
"Why is Town Hall in that condition?" he asked strictly, but lovingly.  
  
The threesome tried not to cry, for they knew they had gone too far.  
  
"We---we got carried away," Lock sobbed. They were going to be banished for sure this time.  
  
"I see," said Jack. "And what are you going to about it?"  
  
"Apologize?" asked Shock, a tear slipping down her cheek.  
  
"That's a start," said Jack. He gave them a small smile, which comforted them a little bit.  
  
"We're sorry, Jack," said Barrel. Jack nodded, showing he had forgiven them.  
  
"And what else do you think you should do?"  
  
Lock wiped a tear on his sleeve. "Fix up Town Hall?" Jack smiled again.  
  
"I think that will work. Now, please. Behave and you won't get into so much trouble, ok? It's ok to play a few pranks, but don't over do it. You are excused."  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel couldn't believe their luck. They weren't banished! They were still punished, yes, but cleaning Town Hall was much better than being suspended from town. They spent the rest of the day cleaning, but all was well after that.  
  
~*~  
  
(Hey, all! thanks for the reviews! OK, just cuz I want to, and not cuz everyone else is doing it...  
  
Charon: Heeheehee. thanks for the review! ^.^ And no, Lock, Shock, and Barrel won't grow up...you'll see their life after Oogie in a future fic--- one that I already have written, but won't post til I'm done here, just to keep my stories in order.  
  
Tantum/IwillmarryJustinTimberlake: I love your reviews! They were what really got me to get this going. And no, you may not have Baby Lock. We gotta share him with the other readers!  
  
Miz Zag: Quit calling me Nighty. [We know each other.] Heeheehee. I admit, I'm not the best historian. Thanks for the tips! And yes, I do feel loved!  
  
Emeraldfire_ryoko: Glad you like my fic, and I WILL have more...later...gotta finish writing the next chapter! And I look forward to your fic as well.  
  
Jack Skellington: Eeeeeeeeee! Jack! I'm so happy you came and read my fic! *Hugs* Luv ya!  
  
Neytari Took: You got good talent and imagination too! I promise there is more to come...at least two more chapters...who knows? There may be three or four...) 


	4. Lock, Shock, and Barrel's First Hallowee...

(OK: another disclaimer, cuz I got this idea while listening to this one Disney CD. It had "Bells of Notre Dame" on it, and got a little--- inspired, so all Hunchback of Notre Dame characters belong to Victor Hugo, cuz he wrote the original novel, and Disney, cuz that's the only movie version I've seen so far. Besides, I think the Disney version of the characters are funnier and a bit more fitting than the original novel characters. And I know it really took place in the 1400's, but this idea was so cool, I had to move it ahead to the 1700's.)  
  
It was October 31, Halloween night. Lock, Shock, and Barrel were excited. This would be their first night away from Halloween Town! Jack decided to let them try out the new tradition, but they had to do it privately. Oogie didn't want them to have anything to do with Jack. On Halloween, they pretended to go to sleep while Oogie went about his business, for he was the Boogie Man, after all. Once they knew he was gone, they jumped out of bed and dressed, knowing everything would work out if they were back before midnight.  
  
Now they joined Jack in Town Square. He was giving them their final instructions.  
  
"All right you three. Feel free to cause as much trouble as you want, but remember the rules. Can you recite them?"  
  
"Pranks are OK as long as the victim isn't hurt," said Lock.  
  
"No stealing. Treats are to be given," Shock continued.  
  
"And we're to be back by midnight," Barrel finished.  
  
"Good job," said Jack. "Now I'm counting on you three. Make this a success so trick-or-treating can be practiced every year."  
  
With that, he escorted them to a tombstone. This year, they'd be going into France.  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel raced out of the graveyard and into the city. There was so much going on! They wandered the town, peeking into shops and taverns, knowing they were to behave, resisting the temptation to steal something. They usually hid in dark corners and shouted, "Trick-or-treat!" to every passerby. Usually, they victim would laugh and hand them either a small coin or a candy, then continue on their way.  
  
The threesome quickly learned how to use the coins. They would walk into shops and see people exchange the silver or gold discs for things they wanted or needed. They got lots of candies from one of the shops, and a slice of cake each from the bakery. As far as mortal food went, this was what they liked.  
  
They had gotten their treats, and now for the tricks. They ambushed unsuspecting people just to scare them. They let animals loose and got a hold of paint and began to draw "masterpieces" in alleys. They broke into shops and made messes, careful not to make it too bad, least they should get into trouble by Jack. But even Jack's warning didn't prevent them from stealing something every once in a while. They tied knots in clothes on clothes lines and bothered soldiers with annoying questions.  
  
After a while, they decided to take a break. After they rested for about ten minutes, they looked around to see what else they could do.  
  
~*~  
  
Lock ran up to a nearby tavern and peeked inside. There was much bustling going on, lots of music, dancing, and drinking. All it needed was a good bar fight. Lock suddenly got a wicked idea and turned to his siblings. He pulled out his slingshot.  
  
"I have a plan. Here's what we need to do."  
  
~*~  
  
Inside the tavern, the gypsy Esmeralda was dancing gracefully atop one of the tables. Her boyfriend, Phoebus, was watching her dance, a mug of cider beside him. On the other side of the table was Quasimodo, the bell ringer. A huge crowd was watching the gypsy girl twirl, her tambourine jingling merrily, her little goat Djali at her heels.  
  
Suddenly, something flew in and hit one of the drunken men. It was a piece of bone---probably a human heel. He turned to the man next to him.  
  
"Recognize this?" he asked, his voice threatening.  
  
"It's not mine," said the man. Suddenly, a rock hit the second man. He assumed it was the drunkard punched him.  
  
The drunkard began to get angry. He suddenly punched the man, before fists really began to fly. Esmeralda stopped dancing while Phoebus and a few guards tried to break the fight up, but as it turned out, many more men joined the brawl. Esmeralda suddenly saw three little figures run away from the door.  
  
"Quasi, look!" she exclaimed.  
  
Quasi barely got a glance.  
  
"I bet they started it," he replied.  
  
"Or maybe they were just passing, saw the fight, got scared and fled," said Esmeralda.  
  
"Then let's find out."  
  
The hunchback and the gypsy ran through the streets, following the tiny figures. They had to turn many times and twice they lost them, but finally, the chase led them into the square.  
  
"They're going into Notre Dame!" exclaimed Quasimodo.  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock and Barrel stopped shortly in the church. The place was huge with a tall, arching ceiling. There were candelabras everywhere, but few candles were lit. Their tiny footsteps echoed slightly.  
  
"Wow," Barrel whispered.  
  
Lock and Shock marveled too.  
  
"Where are we?" Lock asked.  
  
"I don't know," said Shock. She suddenly saw a figure of the Virgin Mary, a small lily arrangement at her feet. "I bet this is a church, or something. Why else would there be holy statues in here?"  
  
Lock turned around and looked up to see the huge, forty-foot rose window.  
  
"Churches also have stained glass," he said.  
  
"Wanna see what they have hidden here?" Shock asked devilishly.  
  
Lock and Barrel smiled.  
  
"Yes," they whispered, knowing the walls echoed. Suddenly, they heard a door open. They were suddenly scared.  
  
"Run!" Shock exclaimed. The threesome darted towards a spiraling staircase as two figures entered.  
  
~*~  
  
"There they are!" Esmeralda said, trying to keep her voice quiet.  
  
"They're going up to the bell tower!" Quasi exclaimed. They ran to the small staircase, but the door had been shut. It locked automatically. Quasi fumbled his pockets for a key, but found none. They would have to get the Archdeacon.  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel had by now reached the top. The room, though full of junk, was neat. There was a mattress along one wall, which they assumed was a bed. Gargoyles and statues were all over. In the center was a wooden table with a wooden city on top. A closer examination showed them it was a model of Paris, with little wooden figures to represent the people. Above was a mobile made of broken colored glass.  
  
"Wow," Shock whispered, watching the colors shine in the moon. "Pretty."  
  
"Girls," muttered Lock.  
  
"Oh, shut up."  
  
"But it's so colorful!"  
  
"And it's pretty! In a way."  
  
There was a sound behind them---one like a huge sneeze. They turned around. No one else was in the room---or was there?  
  
"Excuse you," Barrel said.  
  
"Shh!" Lock and Shock quickly clamped his mouth shut.  
  
"Thanks," said the voice. There was a sound of a conk.  
  
"Quiet, Hugo!" came a cracked female voice.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"Isn't that Quasimodo, Laverne?" came a more dignified male voice.  
  
"No. Quasi's footsteps are heavier then that."  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel were nervous. They carefully approached the wooden shelves and statues.  
  
"Hello?" asked Lock. "Is anyone there?"  
  
"No!" came the first male voice. There was another conk. "Ow!"  
  
"Stone faced, Hugo," the female voice whispered harshly.  
  
The threesome tiptoed even closer. They looked around. All they saw were three stone gargoyles and several pots of paint. They split up, each going a separate direction. A minute later, each of the demonic trio heard something shuffle behind them. Lock, Shock, and Barrel turned around. Nothing was wrong.but the gargoyles seemed to be in different places. This got their nerves going.  
  
Shock tiptoed further, then heard the shuffling again. She turned around to see the shortest gargoyle was even closer to her than before. It had long arms and huge wings, with a gnome-like face that reminded Shock of a grandmother she had seen on a visit to the mortal realm when Oogie got them frightened of adults. The gargoyle had big spiral ears and two horns on its head. Two pigeons flew down. One rested on its shoulder, the other on its head. Shock continued to explore.  
  
When Barrel turned around, he saw a gargoyle slightly taller than the one that was following Shock. It looked kin of piggish, with two long horns in back of its head. It had tiny hooves and short arms. Its wings were tiny. Barrel gulped, then looked around the pots of paint.  
  
The gargoyle that seemed to be following Lock was the biggest of the three. It had a round bald head and a hooked nose, a dignified frown upon its face. Its hands were like claws, huge wings on its back. Lock got more and more nervous with each step he took. That gargoyle was almost twice his size.  
  
Barrel, who was very unnerved, turned around just as the shuffling began again. He saw the gargoyle inch towards him, then suddenly stop.  
  
"Aaaaaaah!" Barrel screamed.  
  
"Aaaaaaah!" screamed the gargoyle. That got Lock and Shock to turn around and catch their gargoyles move.  
  
"Aaaaaaah!"  
  
"Aiiieeeee!"  
  
"Aaaaaaah!"  
  
"Eeeeeeek!"  
  
All the gargoyles jumped back, bumping into each other. They screamed, then fell. Shock jumped into Lock's arms while Barrel jumped into hers. Lock couldn't support them both. They cried out as they fell. After a minute, the commotion died down.  
  
"What was that for?" exclaimed the short female gargoyle. "We were only trying to get a better look at you!"  
  
"You scared us!" Barrel shouted.  
  
"You scared us first!" the pig-like gargoyle shot back. All six got up and dusted themselves off.  
  
"What I would like to know is why you three are wandering the bell tower at night. I'm sure your parents will be worried sick!"  
  
"What are parents?" asked Shock.  
  
"Well, you know," said the pig-like gargoyle. "They're um---well, you see, they're---uh---"  
  
The female cut him off. "They're the adults who raise and take care of you."  
  
"Oh! Like Mr. Oogie Boogie!" Shock said.  
  
"Well, I guess he can be a parent," said the female gargoyle, "though 'guardian' is a better definition."  
  
"Why?" asked Lock. "And who are you, anyway?"  
  
"Oh, forgive us dear boy," said the tall gargoyle. "Allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Victor."  
  
"I'm Hugo!" said the piggish gargoyle.  
  
"And I'm Laverne," said the female gargoyle.  
  
"So you were the ones we heard!" Shock exclaimed.  
  
"Well, you wouldn't if it hadn't been for the fat, stupid one with the big mouth," said Laverne.  
  
"Yeah!" exclaimed Hugo, then suddenly realized what Laverne meant. "Hey!"  
  
"Would you do us the honor and tell us who you are?" asked Victor.  
  
"Lock," said Lock.  
  
"Shock," said Shock.  
  
"Um---Barrel!" said Barrel.  
  
"Such funny names!" exclaimed Victor. "Did your guardian name you?"  
  
"No," said Shock. "From what we know, he found us, took us in and raised us. He says our names were written on a piece of paper."  
  
"That sounds similar to Quasi," said Laverne. "Frollo told him that he had found his as a baby, but Frollo named him 'Quasimodo' because of his--- unique form."  
  
"Until just a few years ago, when he learned the truth. It turns out that Frollo killed his mother and had to raise him as punishment," said Hugo. Laverne conked him on the head.  
  
"Shh! They don't need to know that!"  
  
"Ow," said Hugo, rubbing his head.  
  
"Wait a minute---are you saying that Oogie killed our parents and had to raise us because of it?"  
  
"No," said Laverne. "That's just what happened to Quasi. Lots of people find babies on outings because their parents didn't want them. Quasi's story was a bit different."  
  
"Oh," said Lock. All three wiped their foreheads.  
  
"Phew," they said in unison.  
  
"So what are you kids doing here, anyway?" asked Hugo. "Wouldn't Mr. Whatever-You-Called-Him be worried?"  
  
"Not if we're back by midnight." Shock looked at the sky. "We still have time."  
  
"Another question: Why are you dressed so---so---strangely?" asked Victor.  
  
"It's a new Halloween tradition," said Shock. "You see---"  
  
She stopped as she heard the door below start to open. She turned to her brothers. "Hide!"  
  
They quickly scrambled up a platform, up where the bells were resting in slumber. They quickly dove into the biggest bell of them all---Big Marie--- and held on to the huge metal ball inside.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hello?" called Esmeralda. "Hello? You can come out. We just want to talk to you."  
  
Quasimodo looked around.  
  
"Psst!" Quasi turned towards the gargoyles.  
  
"Bellfry," Laverne muttered. Quasi nodded and climbed up the platform.  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel clung onto the ball. Suddenly, Barrel slipped off, landing on his back. He groaned in pain. Lock and Shock froze as they heard footsteps approach.  
  
~*~  
  
Quasi saw something under Big Marie. A closer look told him it was a child. He crawled under the bell, only to see two more children clinging onto the metal piece that caused the thundering sound when the bell was rung. He smiled at them.  
  
"Hello," he said. The two children stared at him. The one on the ground got up, saw Quasi, and screamed, making the bell echo. The other children slipped off and fell down. Quasi held the bell still until the noise stopped. He then turned to the children.  
  
"It's all right. I won't hurt you."  
  
The children backed away, as though they were terrified. Quasi could sense it in their eyes. He turned away.  
  
"I know," he said. "I'm really not much to look at."  
  
He turned away, quietly leaving. The triad slowly came out.  
  
"Are you Quasimodo?" asked the only girl.  
  
"Yes," he said. "How'd you know?"  
  
"You're not going to believe this, but the gargoyles told us."  
  
Quasi smiled. "I can believe it."  
  
Suddenly, Esmeralda came up. "Did you find them?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
Esmeralda gasped. "I didn't realize they were children!"  
  
"What are your names?" asked Quasi.  
  
"Lock."  
  
"Shock."  
  
"Barrel."  
  
"I'm Esmeralda," the gypsy replied.  
  
"And he's Quasimodo!" Barrel exclaimed.  
  
"Pleased to meet you," said Esmeralda. Quasi looked at the sky.  
  
"It's getting late. Midnight already, can you believe it? I need to ring the vespers."  
  
The threesome froze in horror.  
  
"MIDNIGHT?!"  
  
"We gotta go!" Shock exclaimed.  
  
"Mr. Oogie Boogie will be furious!" Barrel cried.  
  
"Bye!" Lock exclaimed. The three siblings turned and fled, running down the cathedral steps, Quasimodo and Esmeralda running after them.  
  
"Wait!" called Esmeralda. "When can we meet again?"  
  
"Next Halloween!" Lock called.  
  
"If we're lucky!" Shock added.  
  
~*~  
  
It took nearly half an hour to get back.  
  
"Jack will be mad!" Shock whispered, scared.  
  
"Not if we explain," Lock replied. "He knows it was our first night out--- and it was a big city!"  
  
"But what a story we have to tell!" Barrel added.  
  
~*~  
  
As the tombstone was pushed up, Lock, Shock, and Barrel climbed out---and they were face-to-face with a VERY angry Oogie.  
  
"Have a nice time?" he asked. The threesome gulped. "I believe I told you that you weren't to have anything to do with Jack."  
  
"But we didn't!" Lock whined. "We just went out to trick-or-treat!"  
  
"Honest," Shock said, trying to keep her voice steady.  
  
"And then I get a referral from Jack," Oogie continued. "Something about you three being back before midnight?"  
  
All three hung their heads.  
  
"We didn't mean it," Shock wept. "It was our first night out---and Paris was huge!"  
  
Oogie's gaze softened. "Well, I guess that IS understandable."  
  
"Are we in trouble?" Barrel asked innocently, as only a child could.  
  
"Well---maybe not as much. Did they not have clocks in town?"  
  
"The bells rang every hour," said Shock. "Soft and quiet. Just enough to let us know it was a new hour."  
  
"And you didn't count how many times they rang?"  
  
"We were having too much fun to concentrate on that!" Lock whined again.  
  
"Now, just to get Jack off our case, go and explain what happened. When you get back, go straight to bed." 


	5. Shock's Discovery

(I know, I know. I skipped over 300 years ahead, simply cuz I'm kinda lazy. Well, anyway, this next bit takes place a few months before the Christmas Eve Disaster. And yes, this chapter is kinda long, cuz I got an idea burst. In another two or three chapters, this story will be finished, and then I can post the sequels!)  
  
It was a lovely June day in 1993, nearly three hundred years after Oogie took the triad in. Much had changed. Over the past century, Oogie had developed a love for gambling, and as technology grew, so did his cavern. No longer was it a bat-infested cave, but a mighty casino, which doubled as a torture chamber.  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel's tree house changed too. In the beginning, it was only the main room, the elevator and a pipe to send offerings of bugs, snakes, and rodents to Oogie, as gratitude for him raising them and taking care of them. Now it had two towers on top, along with an armory and a bathroom. There was even a tiny kitchen, hidden well in the back. It was hardly ever used, as Oogie did most of the cooking, but came in handy whenever Oogie felt a little under the weather.  
  
The towers were their bedrooms. To Lock and Barrel's bedroom, you'd have to climb a rope ladder. When you entered the room, you would see a chemistry set in the far-left corner, the wall blackened from various explosions, a cage full of scared insects and other creepy crawlies bedside it. The wall next to it was a closet full of spare costumes, while in the far right corner was a bunk bed. On top (Lock's bunk), the unmade bed sported a pair of silk-like midnight-blue pajamas. On the bottom (Barrel's bunk) was a dark green blanket sleeper. The boys' floor was littered with monster trucks (literally) and monster action figures. A pile of comics was in the bottom left corner, a toy chest in the bottom right.  
  
Shock's bedroom was a bit different. To enter hers, you had to go up a set of stairs, to which the entrance was hidden until one of the three entered. In her room, her gray canopy bed was in the far-left corner, the closet on the right wall. A shelf lined most of the room, only a foot below the ceiling. On the shelf were bottles of poison, daggers, and little pumpkin decorations. Evil-looking pumpkin decorations, like candle holders and candy bowls. Beside the closet was an old coffee table, on top of that was a very Halloween-ish tea set. The pieces (even the cutlery) were made of black metal, a skull and crossbones available on each piece. The cups had razor sharp edges, the teapot sporting evil eyes, the spout being a nose. There was no mouth. Headless dolls were around the table, their heads under Shock's bed. A Louis XVI guillotine was in a darkened corner. On the bedside table were Lenore comics and scary-story books. (Hey look! They can read!)  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel were out in town, causing as much mayhem as they possibly could. So far today, they had scared the Mayor twice, "borrowed" the witches' brooms, and put a hole in the Clown's unicycle tire. Now they were plotting what to do about Jack.  
  
"We've got to get Jack sooner or later," said Lock.  
  
"Yeah," said Barrel. "He's so nice---it makes me sick!"  
  
"I'm working on it!" Shock exclaimed.  
  
Even after three hundred years, they still looked and acted five, six, and seven, which proved the youth spell on them was working as it should. Oogie had become such a father figure to them that they even built a small shrine in their living room to honor him. And whenever they successfully caused a day of mayhem, he would reward them with his rich, creamy snake- and-spider stew, which, besides candy, soda, and other sweet stuff, was pretty much the only food in the threesome's diet.  
  
Shock saw Jack walking by the well. She motioned for her brothers to duck into the alley. She pulled out her slingshot. Lock and Barrel did the same. Shock reached into her pocket, where a few slime balls (about the size of paintballs) were hidden. She handed a few to Lock and Barrel each and the aimed for the Pumpkin King.  
  
~*~  
  
Jack was walking along, on his way to see Dr. Finkelstein about the Scaring Meter, a tiny watch-like device that could record the number of scares on Halloween. No longer did he wear a loose white shirt with a black waistcoat and knee-length pants, with gray socks, square-toed shoes, and a long cloak. That went out of style nearly two hundred years ago. Now he wore a handsome tuxedo of black with white pinstripes, a bat bow tie gracefully placed upon his throat. Suddenly a small pea-sized object hit him, the ejected a sticky, slimy substance all over him. Four or five more splattered him. Jack laughed as he turned towards the alley.  
  
~*~  
  
Shock heard Jack approaching.  
  
"Oh my goodness! Duck!" she hissed harshly. The threesome ducked behind a few trashcans as Jack came to investigate. All would have gone well if Barrel hadn't hiccuped and jumped back in surprise, knocking over a trashcan and a few old crates. Jack turned in their direction.  
  
"Ready or not, here I come!" he called cheerfully. He soon found the little threesome trying to hide. "Found you!"  
  
Not one of the three could speak. Jack chuckled.  
  
"Congratulations," he said. "You guys got me by surprise. Nice job."  
  
The threesome was able to breathe again.  
  
"No problem, Jack!" Shock said sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him. It was her "innocent little girl" routine, which usually helped them out of trouble, no matter how bad they were. Jack helped them out from behind the garbage cans, while they dusted themselves off. They then giggled and ran towards the tree house. Fortunately for Jack, the slime rolled off his suit as easily as the water in the well.  
  
~*~  
  
Shock was leaning against the wall near the bathroom door, a towel draped over her arm.  
  
"Lock! Barrel! I want a bath too!" They had gotten that tub over a hundred years ago and bullied the witches into making the thing walk---when they weren't bathing, anyway.  
  
"We'll be done when we're done!" Lock shouted from inside.  
  
"You've been in there for over an hour!"  
  
"So?" Barrel replied.  
  
Shock stormed off. Minutes after she left, the bathroom door opened, and the boys came out, each wearing a spare outfit, their hair all wet. Lock's bangs were still up. He didn't know why, but his hair was trained to do that. Maybe it was natural. He really didn't care, considering it looked good.  
  
Shock soon came back.  
  
"Thank you!" she screamed, then ran inside, slamming the door behind her.  
  
~*~  
  
Inside the bathroom was dark and gloomy like the rest of their tree house, fishbone wallpaper on it. A yellow surfboard with a shark bite was leaning against the wall. An ugly rubber duck was on the floor, wet. (Both are actually in the movie). On the floor was an empty bottle of bubble bath. Shock groaned. Her brothers had used what was left in that bottle---just under half. She knew because it was under half-full last time she had a bath (last week) and the fact that both smelled strongly of dew in a fog. Shock sighed. She had a hidden bottle for this reason.  
  
Setting her towel on the toilet, she climbed on the sink and opened the mirror. Moving aside some peroxide and a few deadly medicines, she opened a secret hatch and pulled out another bottle of bubble bath. She made sure that Lock and Barrel drained the tub, before she started the water. She made sure the door was locked, before she added her bubble bath, hid the bottle again, and got inside.  
  
~*~  
  
While Shock took her bath, Lock and Barrel were trying to think of something to do. They looked through a notebook---the kind that's divided into five parts. The first section was a daily record of who they scared, what they did to scare them, and the prank involved (all organized into a chart.) They would use this chart to find out what prank to match with what victim. The next three sections were pranks: minor and major pranks, and duds. The last bit was for hiding places in town. They also had another notebook (no dividers) full of nothing but instructions on how to play the best pranks, so they would remember exactly how they did everything.  
  
(Now the world knows how they do stuff so easily)  
  
"So, who'd we scare today?" asked Barrel. Lock started to write something.  
  
"Um.we dumped vinegar in the Harlequin Demon's mouth."  
  
He checked the pranks lists.  
  
"All right! New prank!"  
  
"Major or minor?" asked Barrel. "Or dud?  
  
"Well, we didn't get into much trouble, not to mention the effects were quite pleasing. So that equals?"  
  
"Uh.minor?" asked Barrel.  
  
"Good job, Barrel," said Lock. "Soon, you'll be able to do this as quickly as me and Shock."  
  
He finished writing down the day's results, as well as all other pranks they had pulled that day. The vinegar trick was their only new prank, but that was fine with them. Lock then pulled out a metal box and shoved the notebook inside, then pulled out the other one, and recorded how they had to sneak upon the Harlequin Demon, and then dump the vinegar into his mouth from the back. (His mouth goes all the way around his head). That written down, Lock shoved that notebook and the pencil into the metal box, before he closed it and put four locks on it, then took it into the kitchen to hide it.  
  
~*~  
  
The kitchen was tiny, with a small refrigerator, a counter, some cupboards, and a small table with three chairs. It was the smallest room in the house. Lock and Barrel pushed the fridge to the side, before they pulled that section of wall out and stuffed the metal box inside. It was a false closet, where they stored the best of their Halloween candy too. The best part was it wasn't visible from the outside. The boys pushed the fridge back, then sat down at the table to rest.  
  
"We need to find a better place to hide it," Barrel complained. "Every few days, when we decide to go to town, we have to move that heavy fridge to get to our notebooks!"  
  
"At least we know its safe," said Lock. "It would suck if someone ever found it---and who hides stuff behind their fridge?"  
  
"Us," said Barrel.  
  
"Besides us," said Lock.  
  
"Uh---I don't know. No one else, probably."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
~*~  
  
By now, Shock had finished. She, too, smelled of dew in the fog, but not as strongly as Lock or Barrel. Though the smell was sweet to citizens of Halloween Town, too much of the stuff was like someone wearing too much cologne or perfume. Shock quickly dressed in her usual lavender, her uncombed hair dripping at her shoulders. It suddenly stuck out the way it was supposed to, making it look cute and scary. Shock smiled. That hair dryer in the bathtub did its job well. (She isn't Shock for nothing, lol)  
  
Shock looked in the mirror. Her minty yellow skin seemed to glow a bit, the way it should after receiving a good electric shock. (No pun.) There was no hint to what had happened, but so long as she got that glow, it was all that mattered. After all, she needed to look "sweet and innocent" for Jack. Shock wrung out her hair, then put on her hat. Perfect. She looked outside. The sun was beginning to set. Time for the reward of the day.  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel were all sitting on the bridge, watching the sun set. They were sipping apple cider, a common drink in Halloween Town.  
  
"What a day we had!" Lock exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah," said Shock. She took a sip of cider. "I loved that vinegar trick! We should to that to someone else!"  
  
"Uh.what you said," Barrel agreed.  
  
"No, wait! I got a better idea!" Lock exclaimed.  
  
"What?" asked Shock.  
  
"Suppose we give him a few days to cool off a bit---"  
  
"Yes?" asked Shock and Barrel, interested.  
  
"And then we dump in vinegar---"  
  
"But we did that already!" Barrel exclaimed. Shock nudged him.  
  
"Let him finish!"  
  
Barrel clutched his stomach. Lock continued.  
  
"But then we put baking soda in as well! And what happens when you mix vinegar and baking soda?"  
  
Shock and Barrel suddenly began to cackle evilly, seeing the image in their head. But by accident, Barrel knocked Shock's hat off. It fell into the ravine. All three stared.  
  
"Sorry," said Barrel quietly.  
  
"Hmph!" said Shock. She pushed him aside, then jumped on the elevator. Giving the rope a few good tugs, she was lowered down.  
  
~*~  
  
Shock finally arrived at the bottom of the ravine. She jumped off the cage and onto the moist ground. She saw her hat nearby. As she grabbed it, she swept away several leaves to uncover a tiny rat hole. There was a gleam inside. Shock dug a little further, her black gloved hand feeling around until she grasped something. She pulled it out to find it was a silver locket, about an inch long and wide. She was about to unclasp it to see who had lost it, when she heard Lock and Barrel call.  
  
"Shock?" called Barrel. "Is everything fine down there?"  
  
"I can't believe it takes that long to get a HAT!"  
  
"Oh, shut up!" Shock exclaimed. "I'm coming!"  
  
She quickly pocketed the locket and ran inside the elevator.  
  
~*~  
  
Later that night, while listening to Lock and Barrel crash their monster trucks in the tower next door, Shock was examining the locket. She was in a black nightshirt that was a little bit big on her, her hair held back by a purple bandanna. She fumbled with the locket. The hinges were rusted shut, only a few hints of silver under all that rust. Shock wondered if the pictures inside had survived. Her curiosity peeked with each step she took.  
  
After ten minutes of struggling, she went to the armory to get some rust cleaner. They only used the stuff when their "toys" were too rusty to use, so there was plenty of it. Shock took the cleaner upstairs, and after fifteen minutes of scrubbing (and borrowing Barrel's toothbrush), all the rust was gone. Shock threw the toothbrush out of her window. Barrel wouldn't miss it. Like all little kids, they didn't like brushing their teeth, and unless they've been eating seriously sticky candy, they only did it when Oogie told them to.  
  
Now clean, Shock could see designs on the silver heart: a dragon, a sword, a spell book, and tiny designs she couldn't make out. What she could make out, however, was the locket was over three hundred years old. Shock had to struggle just a little bit more to get it open. When she did, a surprise met her eyes.  
  
The pictures were painted with a single horsehair brush, and were so good, they looked like photographs. They were also fresh, protected from the elements outside. This fact didn't really surprise Shock all that much, thinking of all the trouble she had getting the stupid thing open, but what really stunned her was the pictures inside.  
  
The first showed a man with shoulder-length black hair, dressed completely in black warlock robes. One arm was around a woman with bat wings, his arm around her shoulder, her wing around his. Their other hands were clasped within the others. Shock studied their faces. The man had yellowish skin and haunting black eyes---and ears similar to hers. The woman had a round face, her skin very pale like Lock or Barrel's. Her long black hair covered her ears, her black vampirish dress bringing out her beauty. The woman's eyes looked like her own, the man's like Barrel's, only not nearly as round---sort of pointed, similar to Chinese or Japanese eyes. Shock stared at them. They seemed so happy in that picture, so full of love an devotion---but it was the other picture that really hit her.  
  
There were three babies. The first one had very pale skin and dark red hair, the bangs drawn up in tiny devil horns that were hardly visible. He was facing Shock completely, a tiny smile like he was having a wonderful dream. The second child had straight black hair done up in two ponytails, reaching to her shoulders. She was facing slightly away, sucking on a wooden pacifier, her skin a pale yellow. The third baby was turned away kind of far, so far you barely caught the profile of his face. He was sucking his thumb, and though he was an infant, his whole head was covered with greenish-black hair, just enough to hide the white of his skin.  
  
Tears came to Shock's eyes. If this was what she thought it was---then she had parents. She touched the woman's picture, being very careful. She felt the texture of paint, knowing it wasn't a photo. She then touched the man's face.  
  
"Mommy," she whispered. "Daddy."  
  
She wanted to know why they would have someone spend so much time to paint these portraits to have them leave---unless they were kidnapped. She thought about Quasimodo's story. (And I didn't realize how similar they were until I started writing that chapter.) Did Oogie kill her parents? Or were they really abandoned? She wanted answers, but who would she turn to? She looked at the locket again. Only one person she knew could answer her questions---Oogie. She took a deep breath. By now, the crashing of monster trucks had stopped. Shock looked out the window at the other tower. There were no lights. It was safe to go. She pulled on her boots, then pulled off the bandanna and put on her hat. She then slipped outside.  
  
~*~  
  
Oogie was about to go out and do his job, when he saw Shock slipping through the bars on that one window, climbing down the wall like she had done so many times before. Her tiny boots hit the floor gently.  
  
"What is it, Shock?"  
  
Shock seemed a bit nervous.  
  
"I---I have a few questions," she said. "Would that---would that be ok right now?"  
  
Oogie sighed. "What kind of questions, Shock?"  
  
She reached into the pocket of her knee-length nightshirt and pulled out the locket. She held it up.  
  
"They concern this."  
  
Oogie quickly hid his surprise.  
  
"What about it?"  
  
Shock opened it and showed Oogie the pictures. Her eyes seemed a bit hopeful.  
  
"Are these my parents?" she asked quietly. Oogie only needed two seconds to think of a reasonable lie.  
  
"I don't know, Shock."  
  
"Are these babies us?"  
  
Oogie couldn't lie to her on that one.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why haven't I seen this before?"  
  
Oogie quickly thought up another good lie.  
  
"Remember when I told you how we came to be together?"  
  
"Yes," said Shock. "You were out in the moral world and you found us in the woods with the note. It said that someone was to pick us up, but it was a cold night and we'd die, so you took us in."  
  
"That's right."  
  
"But what does that have to do with me not having my locket?"  
  
"I didn't want to hurt you, Shock. I didn't want to show you the pictures and say, 'these are the ones that abandoned you.' I didn't want to have to explain something like that, and so to save the trouble, I took it and threw it away."  
  
Shock looked at the locket in her hands, tears forming in her eyes. Oogie came a little closer.  
  
"Let me just take it now and relieve you of your troubles."  
  
Shock stepped back, clutching the locket protectively.  
  
"No!" she exclaimed. Oogie was taken aback. In all the years he had raised her, she had never once disobeyed him. Back-talked, yes, several times, but never once disobeyed.  
  
"Shock," he said threateningly. "Hand it over."  
  
Shock turned and fled, but her little legs were weak compared to Oogie's. He grabbed her collar and picked her up, before he snatched the locket away and threw her down. Shock was scared, terrified even. Oogie laughed wickedly as he held the silver charm in the air. Shock fell to the floor, crying into her arms, her hat hiding her face. It was the first time Oogie had ever hurt any of them. The worst they got were threats and evidence that he kept those threats, but this was the first time he had ever gotten physical. Shock heard him walk away. She got up and watched the huge doors shut. She waited a minute, then followed, determined to get her locket back.  
  
~*~  
  
Shock kept to the shadows, following Oogie down many cells full of the bones of his victims. She watched him enter his bedroom. She peeked inside just long enough to see the hiding place. It was located in a box full of gambler's jewelry. Shock eyed it, knowing the locks on it were too difficult to get passed, even for Lock. The several locks looked like dice, each die had to be turned four times to show certain numbers. Four rotations times ten locks equaled to forty combinations, all of which had to be correct of an alarm would go off.  
  
Shock was furious, but quietly slipped back to the one spot on the floor where she had been crying. She got back in her position and twitched, making sounds like she was finally starting to stop.  
  
Not long after, Oogie came back. He picked up Shock. She sported a rather nasty bruise on her upper left leg and a small scrape on her left arm, but was otherwise unharmed from when Oogie threw her down, save for a few additional aches and pains. Oogie looked at the little girl he held in his arms.  
  
"I'm sorry, Shock," he said. "I didn't want you to know. This is what I expected had I let you keep that locket."  
  
Shock crossed her arms over her chest, an angry look crossing her tear- streaked face.  
  
"You're hiding something from me!"  
  
"I am not. I'm only trying to protect you."  
  
"I'm over three hundred years old! I can take care of myself!" She wiped her face on her sleeve.  
  
"Shock, I think it's best you went to bed. When you wake up, you won't remember this nightmare."  
  
"I doubt it."  
  
Oogie put her down and she ran to the rocky wall and climbed up to the window, then into the elevator. She stayed in that elevator for another two hours before she finally went back to bed. 


	6. Dr Finkelstein's Creation

It was early in the morning, around eight o'clock. Shock had gotten over the locket issue, though she was still mad at Oogie. She couldn't tell Lock or Barrel. They were her best [only] friends. She didn't want them to go through the same emotional breakdown she had been through last night.  
  
As she came down the stairs, Lock and Barrel noticed she was limping slightly.  
  
"Shock?" asked Lock.  
  
"What?" Shock said brattily.  
  
"Why are---" Barrel started.  
  
"You walking---" Lock continued.  
  
"Like that?" finished Barrel. (Gotta do that more often, lol)  
  
"Like what?" asked Shock  
  
"Your left leg is moving funny," Lock said. "---did anything happen last night?"  
  
"No!"  
  
Shock turned away.  
  
"You're lying," said Barrel. They were such good liars they could tell a liar from a truth teller.  
  
"All right, fine! I had some strange nightmare and fell off my bed. Hard. Now leave me be!"  
  
They took it for an answer. Shock went into the kitchen and found a box of Ghosty-Goblins. She wasn't going to eat with Oogie. Looking into the fridge, she found a gallon of bat's milk and a jug of newt juice. She grabbed he milk and set it on the table.  
  
"Uh, Shock?" asked Lock. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Fixing my breakfast."  
  
"All right, something's wrong," said Barrel. "You never fix your own breakfast unless Oogie's sick, and that isn't exactly very often."  
  
"Bite me!"  
  
"Bend over and mark the spot!" Lock shouted. Shock glared at him. Lock glared back. They each knew the other didn't mean it. Lock sighed and sat down. Shock poured herself a bowl of cereal, then dumped milk all over it. She sloshed some, but didn't care. She then shoved the milk back in the fridge and stuffed the box in the cupboard. She got a spoon and sat down. She played with her food a bit, then shoved an enormous bite in her mouth. She chewed slowly, staring at Lock, then swallowed it all at once.  
  
Lock stared back, not seeming to care. He waited for Shock to finish (nearly twenty minutes, as she kept repeating the process: play with her food, take a bite, chew slowly, swallow slowly), before he tried to converse with her.  
  
"Shock, something's wrong."  
  
"Nothing's wrong."  
  
"Yes, something IS wrong! Shock, I'm your brother. I know you. Now what's wrong?"  
  
Shock slowly slipped out of her chair. She limped a little bit in her walk as she stuffed her bowl and spoon in the sink, which was where all their dishes went until the threesome decided they needed them. Shock rinsed her bowl and spoon and scrubbed them, then put them away. She began to wash a few more. Yep. Something was wrong. There really weren't many dishes in the sink; just a few cups, plates, and two pieces of silverware. Once they were done and put away, she walked/limped to the couch and lied down. Lock and Barrel followed.  
  
"All right, something is REALLY wrong, Shock," said Barrel.  
  
"You were doing dishes! CLEANING something!" Lock exclaimed.  
  
"So?" asked Shock.  
  
"You NEVER clean anything unless you're a) expecting someone, which has only happened twice, or b) something's seriously wrong."  
  
Shock sighed. She motioned her brothers over, then took off her boot and threw it aside. She then lifted her skirt a little bit, and rolled down her black stocking. On her left thigh, about halfway up was her bruise.  
  
"Oogie did that," she said. Lock and Barrel gasped.  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"He was mad at me, because I asked about Mommy and Daddy! I wanted to know, but he wouldn't tell me anything. He got so annoyed with my questions that he picked me up and threw me down. He didn't mean to, but it hurt. It still does."  
  
She tried not to cry. "I don't want anything to do with him right now."  
  
"But why'd you want to know about Mommy and Daddy?" asked Lock. "They abandoned us!"  
  
"Yeah," said Barrel.  
  
"I don't know! I was curious! Well, now I know that the saying 'curiosity killed the cat' is true!"  
  
Her tone prevented Lock and Barrel from asking further questions. Shock had already decided not to tell about the locket.  
  
Shock lied down on the couch. Barrel sat down and leaned against the couch. Lock went into the kitchen to get some oil. He found some and gave it to Shock.  
  
"Try rubbing some of this on your bruise," he said thoughtfully.  
  
Shock took the bottle.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
She went into the bathroom. She stayed there for a while.  
  
~*~  
  
An hour later, Shock came out, dripping wet. She had taken another bath, but felt better. Her hair was damp and her dress wet in a few places, but she wanted to go to town, to get away from Oogie. Lock and Barrel agreed, and the threesome set out.  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile in town, Jack was talking to Dr. Finkelstein.  
  
"So, how's your project going?"  
  
'It's going rather well," said Dr. Finkelstein. "I just need a name for her."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Well, something sweet and simple, like Bernice, or Diana."  
  
"Hmm," said Jack. "I don't know. Sarah, perhaps. Or Anni." (Inside joke.)  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel came up.  
  
"Whatcha doin?" asked Shock.  
  
"Nothing much, Shock," said Jack. "We're just trying to find a sweet and simple girl's name."  
  
"Easy," said Shock. "Sally. It's short and simple."  
  
Dr. Finkelstein and Jack looked at each other. It was perfect. Jack smiled at the little witch.  
  
"Thanks, Shock."  
  
"No prob. What's it for, anyway?"  
  
"Oh, something," said Jack.  
  
"Bye, Jack," said Barrel. "Come on, Shock. Let's go to the arcade!" (And who says Halloween Town can't have an arcade?)  
  
The little threesome ran off, though Shock's gait was a little funky.  
  
"I wonder what happened," Jack said to himself. "Maybe I'm just seeing things, but I think she has a limp."  
  
~*~  
  
Shock, even with her limp, had gotten to Demon Thirteen before Lock or Barrel. It was considered the best game in town. The arcade was small, with ten game machines total, but the games were lots of fun, and one silver drakul (similar to a quarter) could earn you two games. Naturally, it attracted Lock, Shock, and Barrel's attention.  
  
Shock started a round of Demon Thirteen. At the beginning, you could choose what your demon looked like, choose up to four powers, and then start playing. Shock was on a roll today. She beat this first five levels in less than half an hour, a new record. She concentrated hard. Lock and Barrel had never seen her like this. Shock continued to play that game all day, beating it three times in a row, her name taking the top three slots. When she felt most of her tress gone, she stopped. Lock and Barrel had been playing Spiderman (the only "mortal" game in the arcade) and Movie Monsters. Shock beamed at her scores. Not only were the top three slots hers, but the whole top ten list. Lock and Barrel always felt lucky to get even number ten on the list.  
  
In the meantime, Shock was bored---and curious. She wanted to know why Dr. Finkelstein needed a girl's name. She turned to Lock and Barrel. They were going to do some spying.  
  
~*~  
  
That night, it was around midnight when the threesome got there. They watched Dr. Finkelstein sewing something, adding some kind of finishing touch. It was stormy outside and Barrel wanted to go home, but Lock and Shock made him stay. All three were wearing black raincoats and hats with orange fasteners. They got a sneak-o-scope, made with LOTS of milk cartons and two mirrors. This was how they saw in the high laboratory window.  
  
They watched Dr. Finkelstein uncover the thing he was working on. It was a woman with blue skin and red hair. She looked so sweet and pretty. THAT'S why he wanted a name. He wanted to know what to call his creation. All she wore was what looked like a sheet wrapped around her body, from under her arms to her knees, like a slip, and black and white striped socks with tiny high heels. It was clear that Dr. Finkelstein didn't have a dress for her yet.  
  
"Shock was most helpful to me, my daughter," they heard him say. They had a microscope attached to their sneak-o-scope. "Your name when you awake will be Sally. Such a pretty name. I thank that girl a thousand times. And now, my daughter, life I shall give to you."  
  
He wheeled over to a control panel where Igor was waiting.  
  
"Oh, master!" Igor exclaimed. "Can I throw the switch? Can I? Can I?"  
  
"Yes, Igor. Ready---now!"  
  
Igor threw the switch down. Several bolts of electricity shot into the doll's body. She was lifted slightly, a few inches off the table. Lock, Shock, and Barrel watched with much interest, the rain beating down on them, thunder cracking, lightning slashing the sky. They watched, hypnotized for ten minutes while Dr. Finkelstein brought his creation to life.  
  
Finally, the electricity died down, then shut off completely. The doll stirred. She slowly sat up, then looked around, confused, like a newborn baby examining its surroundings.  
  
"Hello, Sally," said Dr. Finkelstein. Sally looked at him, confused. The doctor found it best to keep things slow, short, simple, and to the point.  
  
"I am your creator."  
  
Sally tried to talk, to say something, but couldn't. She looked a little irritated, but nonetheless tried again. No sound. The doctor smacked his forehead.  
  
"THAT'S what we forgot, Igor," he said. "A voice box. Until we get one, she won't be able to communicate, well, not very easily."  
  
Sally looked around. She stood up, the sheet around her body pinned well. It was tight at the top, but loose at the bottom, to make it easier for her to walk. Lock, Shock, and Barrel looked at each other.  
  
"This is what we came here for?" asked Barrel, seemingly uninterested.  
  
"Yes," said Shock. She smiled wickedly. "It's not everyday you get to see a scientist work."  
  
"Yeah," said Lock. "But what good is she? She can't even speak!"  
  
"So?" asked Shock. "Not our problem."  
  
She looked in the sneak-o-scope again. Sally was sitting on the lab table, kicking her feet like it was the greatest thing in the world. She was smiling as though interested on how her legs moved. Now Dr. Finkelstein would have to teach her to walk.  
  
"Are we done yet?" asked Lock. "I want to go home!"  
  
"Almost," said Shock. She continued to watch. "She's so dumb it's cute! Like a baby in an adult body!"  
  
"You got that right," said Lock.  
  
"NOW can we go?" asked Barrel.  
  
"Yes," said Shock. Her interest in Sally had lowered. 


	7. Kidnap the Sandy Claws!

(All right: It's over a month after Jack discovered Christmas. And yes, there is gonna be a lot of movie reference in this fic. However, I'm gonna try to focus on Lock, Shock, and Barrel's perspective of it to make it more- --interesting.)  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel were at home. Lock went out to check the small mailbox, which was wedged between the pipe and the tree house. Usually, the only mail they got was referrals from Jack about their behavior, which they only used for fire fuel anyway. But today, there was something different. It was an invitation. Lock opened the black envelope and pulled out the pale orange paper inside. The note read:  
  
"Dear Lock, Shock, and Barrel:  
  
I personally am inviting you to Town Hall for my Christmas project. I have a special job that only the best of the best trick-or-treaters will be able to do. Please do come, for I'd hate to give your special assignment to someone else.  
  
Sincerely, Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King."  
  
Lock could hardly believe it! Jack had a special assignment for them? This was too good to be true! He quickly ran up to Shock and Barrel and told them of his discovery.  
  
~*~  
  
Two hours later, Lock, Shock, and Barrel were waiting behind the four vampires. They hoped the letter was real and not just some prank to make them look bad. It was all Jack needed was to embarrass them in front of the whole own to pay back for those three centuries of pranks. Suddenly, the Mayor made an announcement.  
  
"Dr. Finkelstein! Your Christmas assignment is ready. Dr. Finkelstein! To the front of the line!"  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel watched the old man wheel up, a huge scowl on his face. They knew that look only too well: Sally had escaped again. They giggled. They had taught her a few ways to sneak around and not be seen, in exchange for getting their clothes mended properly. Sally wasn't quite their friend, but she wasn't an enemy, either.  
  
Shock nudged Lock. The Mayor hadn't noticed them yet. They got their slingshots ready. They hadn't really been paying attention to the conversation between Jack and Dr. Finkelstein, but they caught the last bit.  
  
"How horrible our Christmas will be!" the Mayor exclaimed.  
  
"No," said Jack. "How jolly!"  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel snickered as the Mayor said, "Oh. How jolly our Christmas will be."  
  
The threesome cackled wickedly as Lock and Shock fired two bones and a rock at the Mayor. He was annoyed at first, then looked down and saw them. He shuddered.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked, as though they had no right at all.  
  
"Jack sent for us-"  
  
"Specifically---"  
  
"By name!"  
  
The removed their masks.  
  
"Lock!"  
  
"Shock!"  
  
"Barrel!"  
  
The Mayor fumbled with his megaphone.  
  
"Jack! Jack! It's---Boogie's boys!"  
  
Shock glared.  
  
"Hmph!" Jack turned around as they put their masks back on.  
  
"Ah," he said. "Halloween's finest trick-or-treaters. The job I have for you is top secret. It requires craft, cunning, mischief--"  
  
Shock saw the opportunity to do her "innocent little girl" routine.  
  
"And we thought you didn't like us, Jack," she said in a flirting manner. The threesome giggled. That was actually the truth. They were sure Jack didn't like them, and only acted nice because they were children.  
  
"Absolutely no one is to know about it! Not a soul!"  
  
He pulled them into a huddle, then whispered quickly.  
  
"Now, you need to follow the path in the forest, where you'll find a circle of doors. Go through the tree. Behind it is Christmas Town. Now what I need you to do is get Sandy Claws."  
  
He stopped, then thought for a second.  
  
"And one more thing," he added, knowing who they worked for. "Leave that no account Oogie Boogie OUT OF THIS!"  
  
"Whatever you say, Jack," said Barrel.  
  
"Of course, Jack," said Shock, putting her left hand over her mouth, remembering her role.  
  
"Wouldn't dream of it Jack," said Lock. They cackled, fingers crossed behind their backs.  
  
~*~  
  
Back at home, the threesome was having a fight on how they should capture Sandy.  
  
"We should set a trap for him!" Shock said, then demonstrated by trapping a bug in a cage.  
  
"No, we should boil and butter him!" Lock argued, drenching the bug in a liquid that ate away its exoskeleton. "He's a lobster! We'll put him with the lobsters!"  
  
Shock threw the cage down to Oogie, Lock and Barrel bowing before the altar. The second they heard Oogie suck up the bug, they knew it was safe to move again. Lock put Barrel on their catapult.  
  
"Suppose we take a cannon to his door? That would be so much fun!" He fired the catapult, making Barrel crash into the door to their armory. (Yes, it leads to the armory if you pay close attention.)  
  
"But Jack would kill us! Something tells me he wants Sandy in one piece."  
  
Lock and Shock helped little Barrel out of the pot.  
  
"Or we could throw him in the ocean!" Barrel exclaimed.  
  
"Good idea," said Lock and Shock in unison. They dragged him into the bathroom, where they threw Barrel into the water-filled bathtub. Lock and Shock looked at their little "Oogie Shrine."  
  
"He's the meanest guy around!" Lock exclaimed. Shock cackled evilly.  
  
"You got that right! I wouldn't want to be on his Boogie List!"  
  
And if we were---"  
  
"We get out of town!"  
  
They jumped into the bathtub headfirst---but Barrel had let the water out.  
  
"Ow," moaned Lock and Shock, rubbing their sore heads. The bathtub reared up in order to disconnect itself from the plumbing. It walked into the armory, where Lock, Shock, and Barrel filled it with supplies. Shock got her harpoons from behind a curtain.  
  
"I wish my cohorts weren't so dumb!" she sighed. Lock dragged Barrel, who had somehow gotten a ball and chain attached to his ankle. Lock and Shock learned long ago that it was one of his favorite toys.  
  
"I'm not the dumb one!" Barrel argued.  
  
"You're no fun!" Lock shot back.  
  
"Shut up!" Shock yelled.  
  
"Make me!" Lock yelled back.  
  
"Look, I got a really good plan! We'll send a present to his door with a note on top. When he opens it---we snag him!"  
  
As she spoke, her three scorpions---Scorpio, Midnight, and Killer---jumped on Barrel's head. He then threw his ball and chain inside, the ball taking him with it. In the meantime, Lock and Shock were arguing again as they got more supplies.  
  
"We should beat him with a stick!"  
  
"No! We'll chop him into bits!"  
  
They boarded.  
  
"You know what?" asked Shock.  
  
"What?" asked Lock and Barrel.  
  
"We'll just wait and see, that's what!"  
  
~*~  
  
The ride into the holiday clearing was long and tedious. It took two hours to reach the doors. When they got there, there was a dispute over which one to take.  
  
"Jack said the tree, Lock," said Shock.  
  
"I'm sure he meant this oval thing with the stripes and flowers on it. It looks Christmas-y!"  
  
"Lock, Jack said the tree!"  
  
"It's the oval!"  
  
"Tree!"  
  
"Oval!"  
  
"Tree!"  
  
"Oval!"  
  
There was only one way to settle this: a fight. Lock tackled Shock, pinning her down, then punching her face. Shock managed to kick him off, before she grabbed his throat. Lock yanked her hair, which made her let go of his throat. He then threw her over his shoulder, his hands still clasped around her hair. Now, had Shock not have had her hair pulled so many times, this might have phased her much more than it did. Lock then body-slammed her and bent her leg back.  
  
"Ow! Lock! Stop it! Ow! Fine! You win! You win!"  
  
Lock smiled. "Ok. The oval it is."  
  
After giving Shock a few minutes to recover a bit, they continued on their way.  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel fell down a pink and green pastel warp, little blue and yellow birds spiraling and chirping. The flash of light made them land on top of a grassy green hill. down below was a town of all kinds of pastel colors: pink, green, blue, yellow, and purple. In the center was a huge oval, decorated with all kinds of flowers, bunnies, and birds. The whole town from above looked like a basket, the huge oval building the center. Lock, Shock, and Barrel assumed the space between the handle and the basket was the square.  
  
"Uh, Lock?" asked Shock. "I don't think this is Christmas Town."  
  
"It is! You'll see!"  
  
Lock steered the bathtub down the grassy hill. Several little yellow chicks were running around underneath them. They walked into town.  
  
"So, we're looking for a red lobster, right?" asked Shock.  
  
"Something like that."  
  
They walked on. They learned the ovals they kept seeing were eggs--- decorated eggs. The place was also loaded with candy, which kept them going on their mission. On their second week, they were finally making some progress.  
  
It was clear this building was town hall. The walls were yellow, the room circular. All the benches had egg-shaped backings on them. The stage was a pastel purple, the curtains pastel blue. Pink banners hung around the top. Shock looked a bit sick.  
  
"How do they stand it? It's so ugly, I could puke!"  
  
"No one's stopping you," said Lock. Suddenly, something big jumped on the stage. It was a dark pink, almost red. Lock smiled.  
  
"Now!"  
  
They jumped over the strange creature. Lock and Shock tied the bag shut.  
  
"Are you sure he's Sandy?" asked Shock. "Cuz he looked a bit pink to me."  
  
"Uhm.maybe Jack's colorblind. Come on!"  
  
The threesome threw the sack in their tub and started to head home. They never saw the sign that said, "Easter Ville."  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel arrived back late in the afternoon. The line had sort of progressed. From inside, they could hear the band play an unfamiliar tune. They raced up the steps of Town Hall, eager to show Jack their prize.  
  
~*~  
  
"This device is called a nutcracker," said Jack, showing the Behemoth a wooden soldier and demonstrating how it worked.  
  
"Jack! Jack!" the threesome cried. "We got him! We got him!"  
  
"Perfect!" Jack seemed desperate. "Open it up! Hurry!"  
  
Barrel untied the sack, and the strange creature jumped out. Jack gasped.  
  
"That's not Sandy Claws?"  
  
"It isn't?" Shock asked. Ha! She had been right!  
  
"Who is it?" asked Barrel, confused.  
  
The strange creature jumped up the steps and sniffed the Behemoth.  
  
"Bunny!" he exclaimed excitedly.  
  
The creature yelped and jumped back into the sack. Unfortunately, Lock, Shock, and Barrel had no time to laugh as Jack turned to them.  
  
"Not Sandy Claws! Take him back!"  
  
The threesome felt a little hurt.  
  
"We followed you instructions," whined Lock.  
  
"We went through the door," said Barrel, trying to get some sympathy.  
  
"Which door?" asked Jack, irritated. "There's more than one!"  
  
He pulled out a Christmas tree cookie and showed them.  
  
Shock was furious. It was Lock's fault that they were in trouble now. She grabbed his throat and shook it.  
  
"I told you!" she screamed, then threw him into Barrel. Barrel fell down, then tried to hit Shock, but got pushed down again. Lock jumped on Shock and started punching her.  
  
"Knock it off!"  
  
"Ow! Ow!"  
  
Jack sighed. He knew there was only one way to get them to stop. He made a scary face and roared. They stopped. Lock and Barrel yelped and raced behind Shock. Shock held her arms out protectively. All three were trembling. Jack apologized to the Easter Bunny, then sent Lock, Shock, and Barrel away.  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel went all the back to the clearing. The showed the Easter Bunny the egg door and let him through. They then turned to the Christmas tree. There was still thirty-four more days until Christmas. They looked at their equipment. Shock found a Christmas book. Jack must have slipped it in there. There was a marked page. She opened it, and there was a picture of Sandy and a small child. Considering the size of him, they' have to empty their tub to make room for him! They groaned and slowly headed back, taking them two days to return.  
  
~*~  
  
When they finally did get back, however, they felt like being even lazier still. They figured they had just a little less than a month to complete their task---but they still hadn't decided what to do when they got him. After they cleaned out the bathtub, Shock led it into the bathroom so it could rest.  
  
~*~  
  
It was three days before Christmas and Lock, Shock, and Barrel still hadn't gotten a move on yet. They decided it was time to get the job done. They got their bathtub and went on their way, leaving their equipment at home, all except their sack, knowing Sandy wouldn't fit if they brought it with them.  
  
~*~  
  
It took a whole day to reach the grove of trees. There was another fight about which they should take. This time, Shock won, seemingly knowing better than Lock or Barrel. They went into the Christmas tree.  
  
~*~  
  
Jack was inspecting the work in Halloween Town, complimenting the citizens on their work, helping out when he could. Right now, the only tasks that needed concern were his Sandy Claws outfit, and Lock, Shock, and Barrel getting Sandy Claws himself. He began to worry. It had been over a month-- -were those three all right? He wanted to find out, but didn't have time, considering all the work left to be done.  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel were exploring Christmas Town. They looked a little out of place, considering their clothes and their bathtub, but the elves were very naïve and hardly noticed them. They finally found a little brick house, seemingly bigger than the others. Barrel had to stand on top of Shock to ring the doorbell.  
  
It took a minute, but finally, a big, fat man answered.  
  
"Trick-or-treat!" they said innocently.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
No was the time. They jumped up and captured Sandy. They had to push and heave to get him in the bathtub, but the task was complete. Jack would be so pleased! There was only a day left to get back to Halloween Town, for tomorrow was Christmas Eve. They hurried out of Christmas Town.  
  
~*~  
  
A day later, Lock, Shock, and Barrel led their bathtub into town. The place was seemingly deserted, but they soon heard chattering coming from the square. So that's where everyone was! Sure enough, they found Jack admiring himself in a mirror.  
  
"Jack! Jack!" they exclaimed. Jack turned around. "This time we bagged him."  
  
"This time we really did it!" Lock exclaimed, jumping into the air.  
  
He sure is big, Jack!" Barrel commented.  
  
"And heavy!" Shock complained as she and Lock opened the sack.  
  
"Let me out!" Jack was thrilled. After having explained to Sandy what was going on, he turned to the threesome.  
  
"See that he's comfortable---just a second fellas!" He snatched Sandy's hat. Lock and Shock quickly tied the sack shut.  
  
~*~  
  
"Me on vacation? On Christmas Eve?"  
  
"Where are we taking him?" asked Barrel.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Too Oogie Boogie of course!" Lock exclaimed. It was clear the idea came the second Jack said the word "comfortable."  
  
"Haven't you heard of peace of on earth and goodwill towards men?" Sandy called.  
  
"No!"  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel couldn't remember the last time they'd had this much fun. They tied Santa's hands behind his back (or at least tried, for he was so round, they rested above his head) and showed him their toys. Santa was not impressed. They then had a little fun dancing around him and taunting him, before Lock grabbed a plunger, Shock grabbed a broom, and Barrel got a pitchfork. They led their tub to the shrine.  
  
"Don't do this!" he yelled, barely over their laughter. "Naughty children never get any presents!"  
  
He was pushed inside and got stuck about halfway.  
  
"I think he might be too big!" Shock yelled.  
  
Lock pushed a little more.  
  
"No he's not." He pushed and grunted. "If he can go down a chimney, he can fit---down---here!"  
  
They pushed him down, listening to him scream as he slid down. They heard the bangs as Santa crashed into the nailed-in places. Barrel looked at Shock.  
  
"You know you should try out for baseball? You have a good swing!"  
  
"OH, stop it. It was nothing."  
  
"I told you he'd fit!" Lock said. They suddenly hushed. Oogie had come in. They listened as he sang of what he was going to do with Santa, and Santa crying for mercy. They waited for their cue.  
  
"It's hopeless, you're finished. You haven't got a prayer! Cuz I'm Mr. Oogie Boogie, and you ain't going nowhere!"  
  
He cackled. Lock, Shock and Barrel clutched their sides and fell over laughing. This was just too funny! 


	8. Shock's Gift

(Just cuz---I'm putting in the deleted sequence that should've stayed in the movie.) Lock, Shock, and Barrel suddenly cheering, though very faintly, going on in town. They ran to the window, just in time to watch as something flew into the moon---Jack's sleigh. They had seen it while they were in town. Now they were headed back to the pipe---but there was nothing inside.  
  
~*~  
  
Down in Oogie's lair, Sally had attempted to save Santa. She detached one leg and put it in Oogie's doorway to distract him, before she quickly rushed up to the window. She unattached her hands, waiting for the right moment.  
  
"My, my! What have we here?" Oogie mused. That was the cue. Sally's hands slid from the window and cupped Santa's mouth, one of them pointing up.  
  
"I'll get you out of here," she whispered.  
  
Her hands untied Santa while she lowered a rope ladder. It was then Oogie found out her leg was only a leg.  
  
"What?!" he roared. "You try to make a dupe out of ME?"  
  
He began to suck everything in sight, like a vacuum cleaner. Sally lost her hold and fell down. Oogie saw her and smiled wickedly.  
  
"Jack's love," he said. "I've been waiting years for this! Now I shall have my revenge by getting rid of you! He'll be so heartbroken, but oh, revenge will b so sweet after he foiled my plans!"  
  
~*~  
  
(For those of you who don't have the special edition DVD, this is the deleted sequence---with some added detail. First paragraph is my doing.)  
  
It was about an hour after Jack had left. The threesome had seen him take off from a window in their tree house. Now they were trying to listen to what was going on. Lock had his ear to the pipe. Nothing. He listened good and hard, but no sound entered his ears, save for a soft snoring. He cursed under his breath. Some of Oogie's bats had fallen asleep in there again--- some of his fat bats that often got stuck.  
  
"What's happening? What's happening?" demanded Shock. Barrel suddenly looked towards the cage and tugged on Lock's sleeve to get his attention. When Lock looked, so did Shock. All three were thinking the same thing.  
  
"Let's go down---" said Shock.  
  
"And take---" Lock continued.  
  
"A peek!" Barrel finished. They cheered. Great idea! They each ran to a different section of the tree house. Lock filled two cups with soda, while Barrel raided their Halloween candy. Shock got a small bag of popcorn. There was a centipede inside. She pulled it out and threw it across the room.  
  
"Hmph!"  
  
"Hurry! Hurry!" Lock and Barrel chanted. Shock rushed in and the elevator was lowered.  
  
~*~  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel peeked into the barred window. Not only was Sandy there, but Sally too! Since when did she get there? They looked at each other, then remembered the sleeping bats in the pipe. They must have blocked out Sally's approach. Oh well. They could watch Oogie torment her and Sandy.  
  
(I added the next two paragraphs)  
  
Oogie had Sally tied up, though her hands were stitching her leg on. After a minute, one hand tied the other on. The other floated near its matching wrist. It was actually quite interesting to see her trying to loosen her other hand enough to sew the other back on.  
  
Sally and Santa sat against a wall as Oogie added ingredients to the boiling pit. It wasn't snake-and-spider stew, as the stuff looked like lava, but it was one of Oogie's specialties: anything stew. Mainly what it was a special broth that anything could be added to, hence the name.  
  
~*~  
  
It was almost ten o'clock. Lock, Shock, and Barrel had most of their snacks gone now. Barrel threw a candy wrapper into the ravine while his siblings watched Oogie gamble. He now had his prisoners on a table, waiting for the stew to cook enough for him to dump them into it.  
  
Sally was angry.  
  
"This isn't over! Not by a long shot! You wait 'til Jack finds out about this!"  
  
Suddenly, the threesome perked up. They heard the Mayor's voice, very faintly at first, getting louder and louder.  
  
Sally was still yelling.  
  
"By the time he's through with you, you'll be lucky if you---"  
  
The Mayor was now close enough to hear.  
  
"The king of Halloween has been blown to smithereens. Skeleton Jack is now a pile of dust!"  
  
The threesome was delighted. They stood up and danced in their cage.  
  
"Pile of dust! Pile of dust! Skeleton Jack is a pile of dust!"  
  
They continued to laugh mockingly. Inside, they heard Sally gasp in realization. They leaned in further, watching Oogie torment his victims.  
  
~*~  
  
It was about twenty minutes later.  
  
"If only Jack was here," Sally sobbed.  
  
"But he isn't! Ever!"  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel laughed like there was no tomorrow.  
  
"Help! Help!" shouted Santa. Oogie said something, but Lock, Shock, and Barrel didn't hear as they realized they weren't alone. Something had jumped on the cage. They looked up to see the angry face of Skellington Jack. They gasped.  
  
"Miss me?" he asked. (Not in the clip. Added just cuz.)  
  
Lock, Shock, and Barrel screamed as he shook the cage. Barrel kicked the cage open and jumped out, followed by Lock and Shock. Jack gave them his evil grin as they fell, snickering, then turned to the window.  
  
"If only Jack was here," Sally repeated.  
  
"But he isn't!"  
  
(End of sequence.)  
  
~*~  
  
Barrel was clinging onto a root, Lock cling to his foot, Shock holding onto his tail. Jack was still alive? But how? He had been blown to bits! Shock carefully grabbed a hold of the rocky wall and climbed up. Lock did the same, and Barrel did too. Once all three were safe, they stared down to the window just below their bridge. What to do now?  
  
"Jack's going to be mad when he finds out what we did," said Barrel.  
  
"He already knows," Shock said, her voice shaky. They were going to banished for sure this time.  
  
"But what can we do to make it up to him?" asked Lock. "For something this big, anyway."  
  
"I don't know, Lock," said Shock. "I really don't know."  
  
The threesome sat down, when suddenly, Barrel had an idea.  
  
"Wait a minute! We're the only ones who know he's still alive!" he exclaimed.  
  
Lock and Shock looked at each other.  
  
"And if we told the town---" Shock continued.  
  
"He'll have to forgive us!" Lock finished. They turned and ran, not even noticing that Sally and Santa had suddenly stopped screaming.  
  
~*~  
  
Oogie had just dumped Sally and Santa inside the cauldron, laughing wickedly---but suddenly, their screams stopped short.  
  
"What the--" he said, turning the table over. But it wasn't Sally or Santa. It was Jack Skellington, who was supposedly dead.  
  
"Hello, Oogie," said Jack, calmly jumping off the table.  
  
No! Once again, his plans were messed up by Jack! He couldn't get rid of Sally---not yet, anyway. He pretended to be scared.  
  
"J-J-Jack! But they said you were dead! You must be DOUBLE dead!"  
  
He stomped on a button, sending the roulette wheel spinning. Jack tried to keep his center of balance as several playing cards, each showing the kings of spades, rose, their swords popping out. The kings began to twirl their swords. Jack wove through the first two, then did a handspring to pass a few more. Oogie yanked on a chain, sending the shooting slot machines towards Jack. Jack lept on top of them, stepping on each arm, seeing the roulette wheel was leading Oogie towards him and the shooting slot machines.  
  
Oogie tried to run away, but being so fat, it was hard. He quickly jumped and pressed another button. A spinning blade came towards Jack.  
  
"Jack, look out!" Sally screeched. Oogie glared at her as Jack jumped out of the way, landing in front of Oogie, but the boogie man steped on another button, landing on top of the eight ball, a thread coming loose.  
  
"So long, Jack" Oogie laughed. He could get away now and plot revenge later. Or so he thought---  
  
Jack grabbed the loose thread.  
  
"How dare you treat my friends so shamefully!" he shouted, giving the thread a good tug. Oogie's arm unravled, but before he could do anything, Jack wove the thread into the spinning blades, ripping off that burlap sack exterior. Oogie screamed as his bugs got away. Finally, only one was left, only to be squished dead by Santa. Oogie was gone. Jack turned to Santa.  
  
"Forgive me, Mr. Claws," he said. "I'm a fraid I've made a terrible mess of your holiday."  
  
"Bumpy sleigh ride, Jack!" said Santa, taking his hat. "The next time you gwet the urge to take over someone else's holiday, I'd listen to her!" He pointed to Sally. "She's the only one who makes any sense in this insane asylum!"  
  
"I hope there's still time," said Jack.  
  
"To fix Christmas?" asked Santa. "Or course there is! I'm Santa Claus!"  
  
With that, he flew up Lock, Shock, and Barrel's pipe, the bats inside flying to get away.  
  
~*~  
  
Back in town, the Mayor was going into Town Hall to go through Jack's files, so he could find a new Pumpkin King. The doors suddenly burst open.  
  
"Jack's alive!" came a raspy child voice.  
  
"You must come!" came a screechy female one.  
  
"Oh, no," the Mayor whispered. He turned around. Lock, Shock, and Barrel.  
  
"What are you three doing here?"  
  
"Jack's alive!" Lock said.  
  
"Really!"  
  
"No!" said the Mayor. "He was blown to bits!"  
  
"Yes," said Barrel. "He scared us!"  
  
"I've had enough of your pranks! Out! Out!"  
  
"But sir---" said Shock.  
  
"OUT!"  
  
The threesome turned and slowly started to walk away. So much for that. Suddenly, Lock turned around.  
  
"We'll make a deal with you! If you come with us and see for yourself, we'll leave you alone for a month!"  
  
"WHAT?!" Shock and Barrel exclaimed.  
  
Lock turned to them.  
  
"Do you want to avoid being in trouble or not?" he whispered harshly. Slowly, his siblings nodded in agreement. They turned around.  
  
"We mean it, Mr. Mayor," said Shock. The threesome held out their hands to show they weren't crossing fingers. The Mayor eyed their feet.  
  
"Shoes," he said. Darn. Couldn't cross toes. They took off their shoes (or rather, Lock and Shock did as Barrel didn't wear them), their stockinged feet visible to the Mayor. The Mayor turned to Lock.  
  
"Tail." Lock sighed and moved his tail to the Mayor could see it. Not one of the three could lie. "Now you may make your deal."  
  
In unison, they said, "We solemnly swear to leave you alone for a month if you come and see Jack's still alive."  
  
The Mayor was satisfied. The threesome jumped into the hearse. On the way, Lock and Shock put their shoes back on.  
  
~*~  
  
"He'll fix things, Jack," said Sally. "He knows what to do."  
  
Jack turned around. There she was, the girl of his dreams!  
  
"How did you get down here, Sally?"  
  
"I was trying to---well I wanted to---to---"  
  
"To help me? Why, Sally, I can't believe I never realized that you---"  
  
"Jack! Jack!" called the Mayor.  
  
"Here he is!" Barrel exclaimed.  
  
"Alive!" Lock added.  
  
"Just like we said!" Shock finished.  
  
The Mayor threw a rope down to Jack.  
  
"Grab a hold, my boy!"  
  
Jack took Sally's hand and then the rope. They were both very light as the Lock, Shock, Barrel, and the Mayor pulled them up with ease.  
  
~*~  
  
The crowd cheered as the hearse rolled into town. Lock, Shock, and Barrel were on top of the hearse, masks on. They waved to the crowd. Heroes at last! The citizens burst into song, Lock, Shock, and Barrel joining them. (If you pay attention, they really do move with the beat.) Jack walked up the steps of Town Hall, the little Corpse child attached to his leg. He picked him up and tossed him in the air, before he placed the Corpse Kid on the Mayor's hat and shook the Mayor's hand.  
  
"It's great to be home!" Jack announced. They suddenly heard a familiar "ho, ho, ho!"  
  
The entire town looked up and saw Santa in his sleigh.  
  
"Happy Halloween!" he called, waving.  
  
"Merry Christmas!" Jack replied.  
  
Suddenly, something cool and white drifted down. Jack, Lock, Shock, and Barrel knew what it was---snow!  
  
The citizens were confused at first, but then found out this stuff was really cool. Lock and Barrel each got a good handful and packed it up. They gave it to Shock. Taking careful aim, she hit Jack in the face. He was taken quite by surprise, but when the white powder fell away, he laughed as Lock, Shock, and Barrel ducked behind the fountain.  
  
~*~  
  
It was just before dawn when the threesome finally got back. There was a note pinned on the door.  
  
"Thanks for the scares and the nightmares in one. In a way, being scared is actually quite fun!  
  
"-Santa Claus."  
  
The threesome smiled and laughed.  
  
"You're welcome!" they shouted.  
  
~*~  
  
Shock went up to her bedroom. It had been a hectic day and night, but she was happy. Lock and Barrel were already sleeping. She changed into her nightclothes and was about to climb in bed, when she found a small box on her bedside table. It was wrapped in green paper and a tin red ribbon. There was a note beside it. Shock picked it up.  
  
"Thought you would like to have this back.  
  
"-'Sandy Claws'"  
  
Shock tore open the package. Inside was her locket. Shock, gasped, tears of joy coming from her eyes. She looked out the window, towards the rising sun.  
  
"Thanks, Sandy," she said quietly.  
  
As if in response, a star flickered, before it disappeared with the rays of the sun.  
  
(That's all, folks! Coming soon is the sequel I already had written, set six years later! Bye bye now!) 


End file.
